


Mission Success: A Different Story

by EmmaBodt



Category: Attack on Titan, Shingeki no Kyojin
Genre: F/M, Hurt/Comfort, Love, Titans, aot - Freeform, attack on titan - Freeform, canon AU, shingeki no kyojin - Freeform, snk, what if
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-08-25
Updated: 2019-08-31
Packaged: 2020-09-26 04:23:23
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 21
Words: 43,569
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20383618
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EmmaBodt/pseuds/EmmaBodt
Summary: Remember that all too precarious moment where Armin lied to Bertholdt, telling him Annie was being tortured? Well, what if our Colossal Titan dodged Erwin's sneak attack? What then? Read to find out.





	1. Where it All Changed

Eren lay there, gagged and bound to the back of Bertholdt Hoover, listening to screams of people fighting and getting eaten. He could feel the guilt begin to suffocate him as he stared into the eyes of a Titan staring at him from over the Armored Titan,no, Reiner's Titan's shoulders.

"No..... This is all on me... People are dying because I got caught!"

There was a hiss of gas and a small thunk as someone landed on Reiner's armored face.

"Bertholdt!" Eren would recognize that voice anywhere

. Armin was staring intently at the black haired giant, a look of deep thought on his face that quickly turned into something scary and psychotic. A creepy smile made his face look scarier than anything Eren had ever seen.

"_What the hell?! Armin, what the hell is that scary face for, man?!"_

"So, you're okay with this?.... Leaving your friend behind to face the music?"

Eren could feel Bertholdt stiffen beneath him, and he felt Bertholdt's heart skip a beat. Then it started beating a lot faster. Armin tilted his head, looking mockingly sympathetic.

"I guess Annie was weighing you down?.... Do you know where she is right now? She's way up north, in the Utopia District.....being tortured."

Bertholdt went completely rigid, and Eren felt his body start heating up to a concerning temperature. Eren stared at his friend in horror and shock, wondering why the hell he was telling Bertholdt all this. Annie was in Stohess, in her crystal, so why?.........

"The silent treatment only goes so far..... Oh, don't worry, we're taking care not to let her die....or get a moment's rest. Her body may heal, but her screams are an objects lesson on the limits of endurance. So many methods, so little time. Mustn't waste a prize specimen like Annie, she's too precious...."

"SHUT YOUR MOUTH, YOU HELLSPAWN! I'LL KILL YOU!" Bertholdt roared, coming after Armin. Eren's eyes went even wider than they already were. Did Armin really just piss off Bertholdt?....... There was another hiss of gas, and Bertholdt stopped suddenly, crying out in pain.

"Damn!"

"_That's Commander Erwin! What the hell is going on?!"_

"Reiner!"

Reiner let out a loud roar and swatted at his head, knocking Armin off his perch before starting to toss the Titans off of him. Eren was glad that his friend landed safely. Behind them, there was another hiss of gas, and another blonde landed on Reiner. It was Krista, followed quickly by Ymir. After the freckled girl latched onto his back, Ymir pulled herself out.

"Move your ass, you hunky piece of armor! They're almost on top of us!"

"We know, that,Ymir! Can you please work on getting the Titans off us?! That would make running away a lot easier!"

Ymir sank back into her Titan without another word, jumping off to attack the surrounding Titans. As soon as Ymir was gone, Bertholdt gestured for Krista to get closer.

"Krista! Over here!"

The little blonde shook her head.

" No. I am going to stay as far from you two as possible!"

Bertholdt sighed.

" Krista, please, for your own protection. Ymir will rip off our heads if something happens to you, and I would rather avoid that. So please, come here. I only want to put you in Reiner's neck."

Krista stared at the green eyed giant with uncertainty before slowly inching her way to Reiner's thick neck, shooting in her cables to keep her stable. Reiner let out a low grumble as Ymir landed back on his armored shoulder.

"Alright, I got rid of most of the Titans. Now can we pick up the pace?!" she yelled. Reiner let out a roar of what was probably annoyance. Eren looked around frantically. There had to be away to get away from them; there had to be. He began to struggle against his bonds again.

"Eren! Stop it!" Bertholdt demanded vainly. He knew Eren was going to get desperate; he also knew there was only one way to get him to stop.

"Ymir! I need you to knock Eren out!" Ymir blinked at him, then pulled herself back into her Titan before reaching over. She made a little "o" with one hand and flicked Eren in the head, instantly knocking him out. Bertholdt muttered a quiet thanks before turning his attention to the Scouts behind them. They were falling behind. Bertholdt's eyes went wide. Reiner hadn't been this fast before, so how.... The green eyed giant looked down at Reiner's now bare calves. He'd shedded the armor on the back of his legs to go faster, and no one but the Scouts had noticed. For the first time in a long time, Bertholdt felt truly happy; they were finally going to make it home.

<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><> Word Count: 789 ....I did not do that on purpose....... Damn, I've had this in my head for a while, and I had so much trouble writing the first part! I guess I have a problem with thinking about only certain scenes before thinking of the actual story.... Hope you enjoy!


	2. Moonlit Wall

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Our little group have a late night chat under the moon.

"...We....made it," panted Reiner. He was on his hands and knees, breathing heavily on top of the Wall. The others all around him merely nodded, too breathless to even speak. Eren, still gagged and bound, had turned his back to the two shifters and was staring down at what he once called home

They were all sitting on top of Wall Maria. Below them was the break that Bertholdt had made five years ago, and the over-grown city of Shiganshina. Eren's old home, and the place where this "vital secret" was kept. Another mission for another day.

Ymir groaned and rolled over on her back to face the moon high above them." Well, I must be an idiot."

Bertholdt, in his normal position with his knees drawn up to his chest, glanced over at her." You knew what was going to happen to you, and you had a chance to escape, Ymir," he said softly.

Ymir chuckled dryly." I know. I just...wanted to make sure you guys could take care of her."

Krista perked her head up." Ymir, what do you mean "take care of her"?

"Well...let's just say that whole thing about me taking you with us to save me was absolute bullshit. A better way of saying it is that I told you a little white lie, dear."

Krista's blue eyes blew wide open." You...you lied to me....to protect me again, didn't you?"

"Mhm. That's right. I wanted you to be safe, so I made sure you came along. To be honest, there is no way to save me."

Krista glared at Reiner and Bertholdt as murderously as she could with her sweet face." What are you planning to do to Ymir?!"

Reiner sighed." Honestly, it's not us. We...don't get a say in the matter."

"Say in what matter?!"

Bertholdt and Reiner exchanged looks. Ymir huffed.

"We still can't tell them?"

Bertholdt shook his head." No, not yet anyway. There is still a chance someone could escape," he said. The "someone" let out a muffled growl.

"Alright...can at least give her a simple explanation of what's going to happen to me?"

Bertholdt looked like he was about to object, but Reiner cut him off." Go ahead. Just not the details, got it?"

"Yep. Alright, sweetheart, gather round and I'll tell you a story," said Ymir, flapping her hand at the small blonde. Krista scooted closer as Ymir glanced at the sulking boy behind her." You, too, Yeager. Get your ass over here."

Eren turned his head at the sound of his name and let out a muffled reply. Ymir cut her gaze to Reiner, then pointed at Eren's gag.

"If you want to, go ahead," was all the burly blonde said.

Ymir shrugged and got up, walking over to Eren and ripping off the gag. The angry boy grimaced and started rubbing his mouth.

"You were saying?"

Eren glared at her." Fine. Thanks a lot."

Ymir chose to ignore the brunette's attitude." Okay, you all ready? Good. First things first, I'm from their hometown," began the freckled girl, jerking her thumb at the two boys behind her.

"I gathered as much," muttered Eren sullenly. Krista simply nodded.

"Well...remember when I told you I stole this power from one of their comrades, Historia? I have to give it to someone else. Another one of their friends." She turned her head to face the two shifter boys.

"Is the blonde guy I've been seeing the one who will...inherit my power? Slicked back blonde hair, blue eyes, just reeks of asshole?"

Reiner scowled a little as Bertholdt gave Ymir a small, almost apologetic nod.

"What's his name? I'm curious; wasn't it Porkchop or something like that?" Ymir asked. She hadn't done it on purpose; she really didn't know.

Reiner shot up straight with a snort, his lips tightly sealed as fought the obvious laughs in his chest. Even Bertholdt was fighting a laugh.

"R-Reiner, that...that isn't...haha....funny!" stuttered the giant, covering his giggles with his hand as Reiner busted out laughing. Soon the burly blonde was bent double as tears of mirth squeezed out of his eyes, much to the confusion of the three people in front of them.

"Ymir! That is the funniest thing I've heard in months! Porkchop! Man, Porco would be pissed if we called him that!" Reiner said as he came down from his mirth. Ymir was looking at him with a slightly sad look.

"He, uh...this Porco...he is the brother,isn't he?"

Reiner and Bertholdt immediately sobered up." Yeah.." Bertholdt replied, looking at the Wall beneath his feet. 

Ymir nodded slowly." I see...I'm sorry."

Eren blinked at her." Sorry for what, exactly?"

Ymir lazily turned to look at him." You'll find out soon enough."

Eren bit back a growl as Krista looked at Reiner and Bertholdt.

"You two had another companion?"

Bertholdt nodded sadly." We started out with four people. Marcel...got his power taken from him, and....Annie...." A tiny flicker of anger and pain passed through his eyes when he said her name, and he slowly clenched his fist.

Eren looked back over the Wall. He wasn't about give any sign of what he knew about their female companion. He preferred to have Armin's lie mess with them than have them know she was safe and sound.

"Annie? You don't mean Annie Leonhart, do you? The girl with the bitch face and the ridiculously effective and painful kicks?" Ymir asked, staring at the two boys. Bertholdt clenched his teeth.

"Annie doesn't have a bitch face, Ymir. But that is the Annie we're talking about," answered Bertholdt with his gritted teeth.

"And she's also the bitch that killed half of the Survey Corps on that expedition, right guys?" Eren spat venomously. Reiner looked down at his feet as Bertholdt stared Eren down.

"Do you really think she wanted to do that? That we wanted to? I know we've killed more people than we can ever count, but...we didn't have a choice. If we wanted to go home, we had to do it. And Annie wanted to go home more than anything, so she did everything she could just to make it home. And now she probably won't make it home, now that you're torturing her up North..." Bertholdt's voice broke, and he lifted a hand to his eyes, shielding them from view as his shoulders began to shake.

Reiner looked at his friend with sympathy, knowing that his companion was feeling far worse than he was. He gently layed his hand on the giant's shoulder and turned to face the group.

"Alright, I think that's enough talking for one night. We got a long day ahead of us tomorrow, so we need to rest." He turned his golden gaze to Eren." Sorry Eren, but we're going to have to gag you again. Ymir, do you still have it?"

Eren whipped his head around to glare at Ymir." Don't you dare put that on me, you damn traitor! I'll rip you- MMMMMPH!"

"There we go. Who's taking first watch?" Ymir asked nonchalantly, scooting back closer to Krista, who looked like she would pass out at any minute.

"I will," answered Reiner." You all need to sleep, and I've got some things to think about. Don't even think of asking, Bertholdt. You've had a hard day. Go to sleep."

Bertholdt was about to protest, but sighed when Reiner gave him the eye." Alright, Reiner. Wake me up in a couple of hours, though. You're the one who has to carry us." With that, the green eyed giant layed down and shut his eyes. Ymir and Krista followed suit. Eren tried to keep himself awake, but eventually his lids became to heavy, leaving Reiner alone with his hurt heart and fragmented mind under the moon.

<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>

Word Count: 1294

I'm sorry, I couldn't resist the Porkchop! I just thought that would be hilarious for Reiner, since Porco is his rival( it makes me think of Jean and Eren...)😝😝😭😓


	3. Another Day, Another Night

The sun had just barely painted the sky with the first colors of dawn when Bertholdt and Reiner shook the others awake. Krista blinked sleepily as Ymir smacked Reiner's thick arm. Eren just glared at Bertholdt as the green eyed giant shook him.

"Uhhhh... It's too early for this shit," Ymir groaned, her jaws locked in a yawn as she pushed herself up.

"Ymir...language..." Krista mumbled, still half asleep as she rubbed her eyes. Reiner couldn't help but stare at the petite blonde for a moment longer than necessary before kneeling down to check his ODM.

"Krista, I can talk as foully as I damn well want to," Ymir grunted.

"We don't have time for talking. We need to get going. Krista, how much gas do you have left?" Bertholdt asked, also checking his gear.

In answer to the giant's question, the petite blonde stood up and rapped her knuckles on the canister." About half a tank."

Bertholdt nodded absently, looking over at his friend." Reiner? I've been thinking... What if we gave Ymir your gear? That way you won't damage it too much."

Reiner stood up in one smooth motion." Mmm.... It would take too long for us to swap gear. Besides, even if I did damage it, we wouldn't need it back home. And Ymir will do just as much damage to it as me in her Titan form."

Bertholdt looked down at his feet."...Right..."

Reiner gave his friend a long look before clapping him on the shoulder.

"Bertholdt.... I know leaving Annie behind is rough on you. But we will come back for her. Remember? I promised you two that I would get you two home safely. I'm not about to break that promise. We will go back for her."

Bertholdt looked away from his comrade." You and I both know it won't be that simple... We would have to get permission from Zeke..."

"And when we do, we could probably get Pieck to help us," Reiner said, squeezing the giant's shoulder.

"Who are Zeke and Pieck?" Ymir asked loudly. The two Warriors spun around to see the freckled girl standing right behind them, hand on her hips and with a raised eyebrow.

"Ymir! Don't do that! One of these days you might actually give someone a heart attack! Damn!" Reiner scolded, clutching at his chest. Ymir shifted her weight from one foot to the other with a huff of amusement.

"That doesn't answer my question..."

Reiner rolled his eyes." Some friends of ours. Happy?"

Ymir fixed him with a I'm-not-stupid look." Some "friends of yours" as in your fellow Warrior buddies?"

Bertholdt sighed.

" Yes, Ymir. Is everyone ready to go?" asked the giant, looking around. Krista gave a subtle nod while Ymir rolled her eyes. Eren just glared at the Titan trio.

"Alright then. Here I go," said Reiner as he walked off the edge of the Wall. Krista let out a little gasp, causing Ymir to give the side eye.

"Really, Krista? You ride that guy all day in his Titan form, and you worry about him falling off a Wall? Now that's just sad."

Krista turned a faint pink and tried her best to glare at the freckled girl. "I-It was just a shock, seeing him walk off the Wall like that."

"Mhm."

"Uh, you guys, we need to go," said Bertholdt as he stood up. Eren had already been tied to his back, and was now writhing as much as he could possibly manage while screaming his muffled screams.

Ymir rubbed the back of her head." Fine. Let's go."

The freckled girl was next to jump off the Wall, instantly transforming into her Titan. Bertholdt glanced down at the petite blonde next to him." You ready?"

Krista gave a small nod before stepping off the Wall and shooting her grapples into Ymir's shoulders. Bertholdt watched her before turning his head to look at the boy on his back.

"Eren, if you keep struggling like that, we're going to fall," he said quietly before jumping and sinking his own hooks into Reiner's neck. He crawled around his armor to sit below his friend's ear.

"Reiner, why is it that I have to keep carrying the most obstinate people? Next time we do this, it's your turn."

Reiner let out a small rumble in reply before taking off with Ymir on his other shoulder. They had a long way to go, and there was no time to waste.

=======================================================================

The sun was beginning to set when Reiner finally slowed to a stop, almost falling to his knees in the process. Ymir, Bertholdt, and Krista all jumped off of the Armored Titan to the ground below him. The moment they were clear, Reiner settled himself on his chest and let out a burst of steam from his neck. Bertholdt fumbled with the knot that held Eren on his back.

"Ymir, watch Eren and make sure he doesn't run off. I'll be right back," said the giant, letting him fall to the ground. Then without waiting for her reply, he took off towards Reiner.

Using his ODM gear to climb up his friend's Titan armor, Bertholdt was able to get to the nape quickly. The armor had cracked and the muscle had split, exposing the back of Reiner's human back with a blast of steam. Without hesitation, Bertholdt knelt down and hooked his arms under his friend's shoulders and began to pull the blonde out. Bertholdt silently thanked Captain Magath for making them learn to relax their muscles when Reiner came out easily.

"How're you doing, Reiner? Thanks to you we made it pretty far. I think we can get to the harbor by... Reiner? Can you hear me?" 

Bertholdt leaned down to look at his friend and saw that Reiner hadn't hadn't opened his eyes. The green eyed giant became concerned as he checked the blonde's shallow breathing; Reiner had pushed himself too hard today and probably wouldn't wake up till noon tomorrow. And the fever that he had wasn't going to help matters.

With a quiet sigh, Bertholdt slung Reiner's arm around his shoulders and supported Reiner's weight on his other arm. With a grunt he lifted himself and his friend to his feet and began the long decent to the ground below.

Ymir huffed in annoyance when Bertholdt finally returned. 

"What the hell took you two so long? You've been gone for an hour..." the freckled girl trailed off when Bertholdt stepped into the light of the fire they lit, revealing the condition of his comrade.

"What happened to Reiner?!" Krista asked in horror. Even Eren, who was sitting off to the side, was taking an interest in Reiner's limp form.

"He pushed himself too hard today and ended up unconscious. Reiner probably won't wake up until tomorrow morning, but he won't be able to transform for a little while," Bertholdt explained as he laid the blonde down on the ground. He looked up at the three pairs of eyes watching him." Does anyone have any water? Reiner also has a fever."

Krista stood up and quickly made her way to the two Warriors, a small wine skin in her hands. "Ymir and I went and looked for some water after you left, since I had a wine skin..." said the blonde girl softly as she knelt down next to the burly blonde. Bertholdt watched her as Krista took off her cloak and ripped a small piece of it off. Krista folded it, then picked up the wine skin and doused the cloth in the cool water before gently setting it on Reiner's forehead.

"There," she said softly as she stood up." That should last him for the night."

"Thank you, Krista," Bertholdt murmured quietly. Krista gave him a small nod before going over to sit next to Ymir, who was giving her an odd look and a raised brow.

"You should all rest, and we'll figure out how we're going to travel tomorrow. I'll take first watch."

Ymir let out a loud yawn." Of course, Ber-Turtle. 'Night." The freckled girl flopped onto her back.

Bertholdt raised a brow at her blonde friend and mouthed the nickname Ymir had just given him, to which Krista gave a small shrug before laying down next to her friend. Bertholdt sighed before noticing that it was quiet. Or rather, that someone was quiet.

Eren was gazing thoughtfully into the flames, still gagged and bound. Feeling Bertholdt's gaze on him, he raised his head and met the giant's gaze. Bertholdt blinked, completely surprised by the lack of hate in his eyes. Instead, there was...defeat. Hopelessness. It was like looking into the eyes of a child who had gotten lost and was tired of trying to find the way out.

Bertholdt dropped his eyes again, knowing he shouldn't do what he was about to do, but also knowing that if he wanted to salvage any hope of friendship with Eren, he had to do this.

"Hey, Eren...do you want me to remove your gag?" the giant asked quietly.

The normally angry boy just shrugged, which Bertholdt took as permission to approach him. When he knelt down in front of him,Eren visibly stiffened but kept his peace. As soon as the gag was untied, Bertholdt let it fall to the ground and went back to his post next to Reiner. A beat of silence passed.

"Eren?..."

"Mmm?"

"Remember what you asked me, back in the Titan Forest? About what was going through my head when you told me about your mom?"

A small, almost pathetic gleam of anger came into Eren's green eyes.

"Well... You never let me finish what I was saying."

Eren blinked before leaning forward as best he could with his bound hands." What do you mean?..."

"... I said that in that moment, I felt sorry for you. What I didn't get to say was that as time went on, every time I looked at you or thought back to day..."

Bertholdt dropped his head to his knees and went quiet for a moment. When he lifted his head again, Eren was shocked to see he had tears on his cheeks.

" I wish we would've thought of another way to infiltrate the Walls. It hurts every time I think about how many people died because of me, because of Reiner, because of all of us. And the worst part... We didn't even know it was wrong."

Eren gave Bertholdt a half hearted glare." How could you not know that knocking down a Wall and letting people get devoured by Titans to is wrong?!"

Bertholdt looked down at his feet."... I can't tell you much right now, but you will find out for yourself soon enough. I'll just tell you...we've been hated since the day we were born because of the blood in our veins. And the only way we could even have a shot at gaining their approval was to do as we were taught."

"That doesn't make sense," said Eren groggily. Bertholdt noticed and wiped his eyes.

"...Sorry. I'm keeping you up. Get some rest."

Eren grunted as he layed down on his side. Then he perked his head up, his green eyes glinting in the firelight.

"Aren't you going to gag me again?"

Bertholdt looked at him wearily.

"No. I don't think you need it."


	4. Old Comrades

Bertholdt watched tiredly as the sun colored the sky above him. He admired it's colors for a moment before turning to check on the blonde beside him.

Reiner was doing better than he was last night. Thanks to Krista's ministrations the night before, his fever had gone down completely, and was now sleeping peacefully with only the occasional mutter or twitch of his fingers. Bertholdt hoped that he would wake up soon; the sooner he did, the sooner they could get home.

The giant lifted his green orbs at the sound of someone stirring, and met the sleepy blue eyes of Krista. She sat up and rubbed her eyes a little before returning Bertholdt's gaze.

"Good Morning, Krista," murmured the giant, lowering his gaze to his feet.

"Good Morning," parroted the blonde, also looking down at her feet. A beat of silence passed before she spoke up again.

"Bertholdt?...Could I ask some questions?"

Bertholdt looked back at her hesitantly."...You can, but I can only answer certain things right now. When we get home Reiner and I will explain everything."

Krista nodded absently."... So....where is your home?"

Bertholdt grimaced." It's...not here. Sorry, I can't answer that question until we get there."

"Okay. My next question is; are you two...you three really orphans?"

Bertholdt gave his head a gentle shake." No... Reiner has his mother back home, and Annie was raised by her father. I don't know much about their families, but Mr. Leonhart apparently raised Annie to become a Warrior from a young age. That's probably why she's not very friendly... I know a little more about Reiner, but not much. He lived with his mom not too far from his relatives."

"Seems like Reiner come from a good family. It sounds nice..." said Krista wistfully.

Bertholdt blinked, confused by the sadness in her voice. He was about to ask about it when she shook her head.

"What about your family, Bertholdt?"

The green eyed giant looked up to the sky." Well...I have my Mom and my Dad... Actually, I don't know if my dad is still around... He was really sick when I left... My dad is a really great guy. He taught me how to hunt when I young. And mom taught me how to read. Every night before I went to bed, she and I would curl up together with a book and read two stories, one for her and one for me..." Bertholdt stopped, realizing there were tears streaming down his face. He hastily wiped them away before looking down at the ground.

"Sorry. I didn't mean to start crying."

It's okay. You really miss your home," said Krista gently. Bertholdt nodded absently, a dark look on his face.

"Funny, I start crying because I miss home when hundreds of others lost their own because me. I must really be a monster."

"Monsters don't cry."

Bertholdt snapped his head up and saw that Eren was sitting there watching him blankly. He hadn't even noticed the boy waking up.

"What?" Bertholdt asked.

"Monsters don't cry, Bertholdt," Eren repeated.

"What do you mean?"

Eren sighed." Monsters don't cry. What I mean by that is that you are not a monster."

Bertholdt looked back down at his feet."...Thanks, Eren."

Eren huffed." Don't thank me. I just saying you're not a monster."

"Who's not a monster?" asked a groggy voice. All three heads turned to Reiner, who had sat up and was now blinking the sleep out of his eyes. The marks around his eyes had finally faded, and Reiner was looking a little less pale. Bertholdt gave his friend a gentle smile.

"It's not important. How are you feeling?"

Reiner scratched the back of his head." If I'm being honest... I feel like I went through one of Shadis's hellish field runs before having Annie put me through the wringer. In other words, I feel like shit."

Eren cocked his head."...I thought the only time you fought Annie was the time you made me fight her."

Reiner shuddered, a grimace crossing his face." Annie was selected for her hand to hand combat skills...and I happened to be her punching bag for it. I think I wasn't able to walk for about a week after that..."

Bertholdt nodded quietly as Ymir, who had finally risen and was quietly listening, fixed the boys with her bronze eyes.

"So, bitch face was picked for her ass kicking skills. That's obvious. What were you two picked for?"

Bertholdt fiddled with his hair self consciously.

"... I was selected for my marksmanship..." mumbled the giant.

"Your marksmanship!?" Eren yelped incredulously.

"Yep. Good ol' Bertl here has the finest eye of everyone I know. He was able to hit the center of the target with all ten bullets. I... barely even hit the outer ring with two," said Reiner proudly before growing quiet. He was dreading the next question.

"And what were you selected for, Braun?" Ymir drawled. Reiner dropped his golden gaze to his feet.

".....They told me they picked me....for my loyalty, but....the truth is...I wasn't really picked. Their decision was...influenced." Reiner said bitterly. Bertholdt placed a sympathetic hand on his shoulder as silence fell around the group.

After a moment, the burly blonde gave his head a shake and gently brushed off the giant's hand as he tried to lift himself to his feet. He swayed slightly as he stood before walking forward unsteadily. Bertholdt watched his friend with unmasked concern as Reiner began digging around in his pocket.

"Reiner...What are you doing?"

"Looking for my knife. What does it look like I'm doing?"

Bertholdt's eyes went as wide as moons." Reiner! You can't transform! You haven't recovered enough for that!"

Reiner looked down at his friend with an exasperated expression." How else are we going to make it to the harbor? Ymir can't carry us all, we're running out of gas, going on foot would be suicide, and don't even think about using your Titan form. That leaves me to carry us."

"If you push yourself too much, we won't ever make it there!" Bertholdt yelled standing up to tower over his friend. Eren and Krista watched in shocked awe as Bertholdt and Reiner had a silent, but ferocious stare down. This was the first time they had ever seen the giant get angry at his best friend. The first time they ever seen them fight.

Bertholdt was the first to drop his gaze. He knew there was no other option; waiting around for Reiner to recover would leave them vulnerable to Titan attacks.

"I just...wanna make it home, Reiner," said the giant quietly. Reiner closed his eyes and rested a sympathetic hand on his friend's shoulder. 

"I know Bertl... What happened to Marcel won't happen to us. Promise. No ones going to sneak up on us, and I'm not going to freeze up again either."

Bertholdt nodded silently before Reiner removed his hand and walked away, creating enough distance between him and his charges to safely transform. A flash of light later, and the burly blonde boy vanished into his Titan. He swiveled his giant head around to look at the now tiny people behind him and let out a throaty rumble.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, we're coming, ya big lug," drawled Ymir, walking over and transforming into her own Titan. Bertholdt looked back at Eren.

"Sorry, but I still have to carry you."

Eren merely shrugged and glowered at the ground as Bertholdt secured the normally angry boy to his back. Eren's behavior was starting to worry the green eyed giant; this wasn't the Eren he knew. That Eren would still be kicking and screaming. Then again, Bertholdt also wasn't like what he was before Reiner blew their cover.

"Hey, are you ready Krista?" Bertholdt called over his shoulder, double checking the knot on his chest. When he heard no reply, he turned his head and saw the the petite blonde staring hard into the distance." ...Krista?...Did you hear me? Krista?"

Krista blinked a little before turning to face the burdened giant."...Sorry, did you say something?"

"Yeah...Are you ready to go?"

"Yes," Krista responded before starting off towards Ymir. The freckled Titan quickly attached herself to his friend's armored shoulder.

Bertholdt eyed her curiously as he latched onto Reiner." Hey, Krista?"

"Yeah?" called the tiny blonde.

"What were you staring at earlier?"

A beat passed before she answered." I don't really know myself... But I swear that I felt something or someone watching us."

Bertholdt frowned." ...Don't worry about it. I'm pretty sure it was just your nerves."

Krista nodded just as Reiner took off, kicking up a cloud of earth as he shot off at a sprint. He knew that if he could hold that pace all the way to the harbor, they would get there by nightfall. The only problem was if.

Unknown to any of them, something was watching them; short cropped black hair and lazy grey eyes took in the sight of the infamous Armored Titan as it disappeared into the distance while wearing a genuine-but slightly strange smile due to the abnormal shape of its head.

"Hhmmm....Zeke will be quite happy to hear they're finally coming home... I'd better get to him first..."

After vocalizing the thought aloud, the strangely shaped Titan turned and followed after the pale haired Titan, swiftly passing them on the way to their destination.

............................................................................................................................

Reiner didn't know how much more he could take. His body was screaming at him to stop moving, to lay down and rest, but he continued to push on. He was so tired, and so hurt and confused, but at the same time he just wanted to go home and put this whole thing behind him. Guess that was what gave him his split mind.

"Hey, Reiner! Do you see it?! It's the wall; we're going home!" Bertholdt's voice echoed slightly in his ears; just a side effect of being in his Titan. Barely able to keep his eyes open, the blonde boy peered through his Titan's eyes at the horizon. Bertholdt was right; he could just make out the wall that he'd left behind almost...five years ago.

Bertholdt couldn't help but smile as Reiner let out a quiet grumble. They were going home. They were going home! Five years, five long, hard years, and now he could go home.

Eren squirmed a little on his back." There's another Wall?"

"Well...not like Maria, Rose, and Sina...this Wall was built as....as a..," Bertholdt swallowed, sweating heavily. It made his stomach churn to think about the wall was built for.

"Execution...." Ymir growled, not bothering to pull herself out of her Titan. Bertholdt dropped his gaze as Eren swiveled his head to look at the freckled Titan.

"What?! What do you mean execution?!

"That why I like this...this where they come from," Ymir said in her deep voice.

"They?..." Krista questioned.

"Titans..." Ymir rumbled. Eren's eyes went wide in shock.

"Wait, what do you mean the Titans come from that wall!? And what does that have to do with you or an execution!?"

"Eren, I will explain as soon as we get to the wall. I promise," Bertholdt murmured, locking his eyes on the slowly approaching wall. Eren let out an aggravated huff, but held his tongue. If he wanted answers, he was going to have to be patient.

The small party reached the wall about an hour before sundown. Reiner, knowing he was on the brink of slipping into unconsciousness, summoned the last of his strength to climb the wall to the top. Bertholdt protested against his extra effort, but the blonde boy knew that he was too heavy for his friend to scale the wall with. He also just wanted to spare his dignity a little.

The moment his passengers had gotten off of him, the Armored Titan slumped forward, relaxing his muscles as he slipped into blackness. Bertholdt quickly untied Eren from his chest, muttering a brief apology when Eren hit the ground with a thud. A moment later, he scurried over to his best friend as fast as his long legs could. Once again he pulled out the unconscious blonde, who was burning with a dangerously high fever. 

"Krista! Do we have any water left?! Reiner is even hotter than he was last night!" Bertholdt yelled down to the petite blonde below, who was checking on the condition of Ymir. She shook her head.

"No, I just gave the last of it to Ymir! I'm sorry!"

Bertholdt lifted his friend's bulk onto his back with a grimace." It's alright, I'm sure we can find something else to bring his fever down..." replied the giant as he finished descending the steaming Titan body. 

Krista opened her mouth to say something when an voice spoke from behind the small group.

"Perhaps I could interest you in some medicine?"

Everyone spun around to see a man in his late twenties with a scraggly blonde beard and hair to match. On his nose were spectacles that made his light green eyes gleam.

"Who the hell are you?!" Eren shouted. Krista was asking the same question with her eyes while Ymir was just studying him carefully. However, Bertholdt's eyes went wide, and he hastily placed Reiner on the wall before turning back to the mysterious man and snapping his hand to his his forehead.

"Captain Zeke!"

"Zeke"chuckled as he walked over to the giant.

"Bertholdt, you can drop the formalities. You are Bertholdt, right? Damn, you're a lot taller than you used to be. Can't you let us short people have a chance?"

Bertholdt chuckled nervously as he dropped his salute." I'm afraid that I can't help that, and Reiner couldn't either. Could I take you up on that offer of medicine?" The two of them knelt down next to the unconscious blonde as Zeke took out a small box.

"Of course. Pieck told me that Reiner was the one carrying you all today, and we know he's not really built for endurance like Marcel and Annie, so I brought this up with me," he said, taking out a bottle and tipping into Reiner's mouth. Bertholdt watched silently with a pained look on his face before...

"Bertholdt! Who the hell is this guy!? Answer me damn it! How the hell is he alive all the way out here?!"

Eren was terrible at concealing his feelings. He was pissed, confused, and a tiny bit scared. The guy in front of him was reminding way to much of his father. The eyes, the beard the face shape... 

When Zeke turned to Eren, Bertholdt saw his eyes widen slightly."...Who is this, Hoover?"

Bertholdt look down at his feet." Our objective, sir. We completed our mission."

Zeke finally took notice of the two girls beside Eren, and his voice became very quiet." Bertholdt, I know for a fact that that blonde isn't Annie, and I can't help but notice that in Marcel's place is a person I do not know. Care to explain?"

Bertholdt sighed sadly.

"...Marcel was devoured by Ymir not long before we broke down the wall...."

"And I guess the same fate befell Annie as well?"

Bertholdt shook his head." No sir. Annie... We had to leave her behind, and we know her cover is blown....They're torturing her, Zeke..."

Eren watched the two of them with barely conceal anger." Again, who the hell are you, and what the hell is going on?!"

Zeke looked back at the angry boy and fixed him with a calm look." My name is Zeke, and I am Bertholdt and Reiner's superior and fellow Warrior. Who are you?"

Eren fixed him with a glare to which Zeke shrugged." Alright, there goes a decent conversation."

Zeke turned to the two girls." And what about you two?"

Krista opened her mouth to reply but Ymir clapped her hand over it." Why should we trust you, monkey? she hissed, brown eyes glinting darkly.

"Monkey? I believe you're wrong there, jaw," Zeke countered calmly. He he just simply guessed, and Ymir didn't try to deny it. Krist huffed and removed the hand from her mouth.

"I'm Krista...sir."

Zeke gave her a polite nod before turning to Bertholdt." You can explain everything once you've had some rest; I'll send Pieck to pick up Reiner."

"Pieck's here too? That's nice to hear," said Bertholdt, bringing himself to his feet. He helped Eren to his feet and gestured for the girls to follow him. 

"Do you still remember where everything is, Hoover?" Zeke called.

Bertholdt turned his head with a gentle smile on his face." Of course I do."

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Word Count: 2734


	5. Desperation

Eren was the first to awaken from his sleep, and quickly jumped on the opportunity to scout out wherever the hell he was. He sat up and looked around the room he was in. On his left was Bertholdt, blissfully asleep with his upper torso falling off the bed. On his right was Reiner, still slightly pale from his long trip yesterday, but definitely recovering. 

What really caught his attention were the strange things that were scattered throughout the room. Strange guns that he had never seen before, a tube like thing with a crank on the side. And there was a weird, almost salty smell in the air that he couldn't put a finger on.

A moment later, the door on the other side of the room opened and a short girl with long, messy black hair walked into the room. Seeing that he was awake, the girl gave him a carefree smile that matched her lazy grey eyes.

"Good morning. I see that you're awake. Did you sleep well?" she purred.

Eren looked at her skeptically while the girl crossed the room to stand in front of the haphazardly positioned giant. She gave the sleeping boy a big smile as she pulled a small bag out of her pocket.

"Wakey wakey, Bertl..." the girl purred as she dumped the contents of the bag on the giant's back. It was ice, and the response was immediate. With a yelp, Bertholdt shot up and over, falling over the other side of the bed with a loud thump.

"What the hell?! Connie, that's cold!" Bertholdt's green eyes peeked up over the bed before widening in shock." Oh. Sorry, Pieck."

"Do you think you guys can be a little more quiet? Damn, I swear you people are the noisiest..."

Reiner slowly sat up, rubbing his eyes clean of leftover sleep. "Pieck" threw him another one of her lazy smiles." Good morning, Reiner."

Reiner's hands flew away from his his face." Pieck!?"

A moment later, the blonde was out of bed and twirling the black haired girl around like he was fully recovered from his long trek the day before. When he finally finished, he set her down gently on her feet and mussed her hair in a brotherly fashion.

"It's good to see ya again, Pieck. How've you been?"

Pieck looked up at him thoughtfully." Well...I've definitely been short. A lot shorter than you. I've also been healthy, happy, and mentally well. And I'm pretty sure Pock likes me."

Reiner chuckled as Bertholdt joined." It seems that our height gets all the attention. And who's this Pock person?"

"It's Porco, of course. Who else could it be?"

Bertholdt blinked." Porco likes you? Like like like you?"

Pieck hummed happily in answer, earning her raised brows. She smiled up at them lazily.

"It's easy to tell. He looks at me kind of like how you look at Annie," she said simply. Bertholdt blinked as the words sunk in, then slowly became a faint pink.

"Wait, what!? What do you mean "how I look at Annie"?!"

Reiner let out a hearty laugh and slapped Bertholdt on the back." See, even Pieck could tell!"

Before Bertholdt could stutter out a response, someone let out a loud cough. Everyone turned their head to see Zeke standing in the doorway, looking stern with a happy twinkle in his eye.

"As much as I hate to disrupt your reunion, we have things to discuss..."

All three of reunited teens turned and immediately snapped a salute. Zeke raised an eyebrow at the blonde." Not that I mind, but I don't think you're supposed to salute like that..."

Bertholdt glanced down at his friend and gave him a quick nudge." Wrong salute, Reiner."

The brawny blonde blinked and looked down at the hand he had fisted over his heart."Damn!" He quickly corrected himself and copied his friends, lifting his hand to his forehead. "My apologies, Captain Zeke."

Zeke chuckled." Well, it seems like you've picked up some habits here in Paradis. You two will have to tell me all about it over breakfast."

Reiner sheepishly glanced at the ceiling." Yes sir."

.........................................................................................................................

"...and now we're here, after two...three days of running? I can't remember."

Reiner was staring at the table below his clasped hands, ignoring the steaming mug beside them. At the other end of the table was Zeke, mug in hand, staring thoughtfully at the blonde Warrior. On his right was Pieck, who was munching away carelessly on a piece of bread as she listened. Opposite of her was Bertholdt, who was sipping quietly from his own mug. Ymir was paying no attention to anything around her, while Krista stared apprehensively into her mug. Eren silently watched everyone with scowl on his face. He really didn't like everyone here. Except Krista. She was...okay. For now, anyway. 

"Hmm...that is an interesting story. I congratulate you two on your incredible thinking. You can give the details when he picks us up tomorrow afternoon." Zeke said, taking a long sip of his...whatever was in the cup. Bertholdt, who was in the middle of taking a drink of his own, coughed and nearly dropped the cup on the floor.

"We're leaving tomorrow?! We can't leave that soon! We have to go back for Annie!"

Zeke's eyes fluttered over to the distressed giant." And why exactly do we have to go back for her, Hoover?"

Bertholdt stood up abruptly, causing his chair to audibly scrape across the floor." Because she's one of us! She deserves to come home just as much as we do!"

Zeke sighed wearily." Since when does our race ever get what it deserves, Hoover?"

"This has nothing to do with us being Eldians! This is about Annie, who is being tortured, who needs our help, who needs to come home!"

"Bertholdt."

Reiner had stood up and made his way to the agitated giant, settling a hand on his shoulder.

"Sit down, buddy, and let me handle this. Keep yelling like that and you might bust a lung."

Reiner flicked his golden eyes to his captain, who was watching them calmly." Captain Zeke. I challenge you to fair Titan combat," he stated without breaking eye contact. Zeke raised an eyebrow while Bertholdt stared at his friend in horror.

"Reiner, what are you doing?!"

"I'm sticking to my word, remember? I promised you and Annie that I'd get us all home safely, right?"

"Reiner! Are you out of your mind!? You haven't recovered-"

"I accept your challenge, Braun," said Zeke calmly. There was a dark glint in his eye." If I win, we go home tomorrow afternoon without a problem or a peep of Annie. You win, and we'll go back for Annie."

Reiner nodded and headed for the door." I'm ready when you are, Captain." 

Zeke nodded and swirled whatever was in his cup." I'll come after I finish my coffee."

Silence fell around the table. Krista cautiously sniffed the dark liquid in her cup before taking a sip. When the hot, bitter coffee hit her tongue, the petite blonde widened her eyes spat it back into her mug. Zeke gave her an amused look.

"Something wrong, miss?"

"That...that is the most terrible thing....I have ever put in my mouth! It's so...bitter!" Krista responded with shut eyes, trying unsuccessfully to ignore the taste in her mouth.

Zeke chuckled." Yeah, we don't have that many supplies here, so the coffee tastes like shit. Put some cream and sugar, and it does a world of good." Zeke tipped back the last of his coffee and stood up.

"Time to go. Bertholdt, you lead the way the our guests. I'm sure they wouldn't want to miss the show."

Pieck looked thoughtfully up at her superior." Captain, you need a shave and a haircut."

There was a moment of quiet before Bertholdt and Zeke looked at each other." Good old Pieck..."

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Word Count: 1309

Sorry, I got kind lazy in this chapter. I'll put the big fight in the next one. After that, our poor babies will go home....😭😭😭😭


	6. Armored vs. Beast

Reiner stood on the wall, looking down at the ground below. This is where the Titans were created and let loose. Titans that had eaten the brave souls of any who fought against them, or just anyone who came close enough to be devoured. It didn't matter if they came close on purpose or not. Prey was prey. 

An image of tear stained freckles flashed through the blonde's mind, causing him to grimace and shake his head. Marco's death still haunted him, and it probably would for the rest of his short life.

"Reiner, it's not too late to call this off."

For the past hour, Bertholdt had been trying his best to get his best friend to quit the fight. He just wouldn't win. He hadn't recovered from the long haul the day before, hadn't trained his grown body inside his Titan, and hadn't fought serious hand to hand in his Titan form in almost five years. He would lose easily to the constantly trained Zeke, who was also older and smarter than a seventeen year old boy.

"Reiner... You can't-"

"Can't what, Bertholdt? There are a lot of things that I've done that I thought I couldn't do. I've befriended people on Paradis, murdered thousands of people before the age of fifteen, and got selected for a Titan." Reiner switched his gaze to the sky above him, keeping his back to the giant. He heard the green eyed boy sigh behind him.

"I know, Reiner. But if you take on Zeke, you're going to lose."

"You don't know that for sure."

"Maybe I don't, but you're odds against him aren't great either."

Reiner finally turned to face Bertholdt with a hard look." Do you have another idea to get Annie back?"

Bertholdt fell silent and looked away."...No."

"Then this is the only way, buddy."

Reiner turned back to the scenery in front of him." You know, I don't remember this place being so pretty before."

Bertholdt let his gaze follow the blonde's as he stepped up beside him." Yeah..."

"Braun, are you ready to begin?"

Both boys spun around to see Zeke, shirtless and calm. Behind their superior were Eren, Krista, Pieck, and Ymir. Reiner's face went from relaxed to grim.

"Yes sir."

Zeke began walking to the edge of the Wall." Then let us begin." Without another word, he jumped from the wall, immediately shifting into his Titan form. The moment Krista layed eyes on him, she gasped.

"Wait!...Isn't that... The monkey from Utgard?!"

Bertholdt nodded solemnly." Yes...that's him."

Reiner walked to the edge of the wall, before looking back at his tall friend with a lopsided grin."Wish me luck, Bertl!" With that, the blonde jumped off the wall to join the beast below.

After he shifted into his form, Reiner waved at Zeke, telling him he was ready. A toothy smile crept over the Beast's face." You are awfully eager to fight, Braun. "

Reiner let out a quiet rumble as he shed the armor on the back of his legs. He knew he was going to need speed in this fight.

"Are you sure you want to settle this with a fight, Braun? You're odds aren't looking too good."

Reiner got himself ready to charge, knowing all too well that both Bertholdt and Zeke were right; winning this fight was going to be damn near impossible. However, he would be damned if he didn't at least try to get Annie back; she deserved to come home, and Bertholdt didn't deserve to worry himself sick.

Zeke let out a quiet sigh and scratched his ear." Very well; there is no way to talk you out of this."

Reiner let out a determined roar and charged at his superior before turning on his heel. He spun around and tried to catch Zeke with his outstretched fist, only to meet thin air as his target sidestepped his attack. Reiner immediately threw another hit at him, only to have his second attack miss and his arm seized. His golden eyes blew wide as he felt his Titan leave the ground.

"What the h-!"

A second later, Reiner felt his body slam into the wall behind him. His vision burst into stars for a moment as his stomach churned. He must've hit head first...

CR-CRUNCH

"Oh, shit....not good!"

Reiner winced as the rocks made quick work of his face, breaking the armor on the left side and cracking both his eye lenses. All over his body, his armor was breaking and leaving him exposed.

"I wish it didn't have to come to this, Braun...but you challenged me. Challenging me is challenging our superior, Commander Magath, and challenging him is challenging Marley as a whole. And when you challenge Marley, you lose."

Reiner lifted his head as much as he could and saw Zeke walking closer to him with a huge boulder in his hand. 

And it took Reiner mere seconds to figure out just what he was going to do with it.

"I gotta move...I gotta get up!" The blonde boy tried to move his body only to find that he was too weak to stand in both his human and Titan form. Panic began to rise in the back of his throat as Zeke stopped in front of him.

"Good night, Braun. When you wake up, you'll be home,"said Zeke, lifting the rock up above his head. Reiner shut his eyes in defeat, waiting for the black that would take over his senses.

"Bertholdt...Annie... I'm sorry."

The next second, the rock was slammed into his back, his head, his arms...it seemed like Zeke just wanted to pulverize his very body. Every blow felt heavier than the last as the defeated Armored gradually lost consciousness.

...........................................................................................................................

Eren didn't know what to think. Below him, Reiner was getting the beating of a lifetime, getting pounded over and over again with a rock the size of a wagon. Bits and pieces of his armor were flying in every direction, and the muscles and limbs beneath them were getting more mangled every minute. And somehow, the Rogue Titan couldn't help but gape in horror.

"Zeke! Stop! Please, he's had enough! If you keep on like this, you're going to kill him!" Bertholdt shouted desperately. Behind him were Ymir and Krista, the former looking sympathetic and the latter on the verge of tears. Beside Bertholdt stood Pieck, who wore an expression of sadness.

Zeke halted the rock in his hands and looked down thoughtfully at the corpse below him."Hmm...I suppose you're right, Hoover. Come down and get him." The Beast dropped the rock carelessly and walked away from the steaming pile of meat.

Bertholdt wasted no time, bolting down to the end of the wall." Krista! Come with me! I need your help!"

Krista hastily wiped at her eyes before following the tall boy as he flew to his friend." I'm coming!"

Eren blinked, then started running after them. He didn't know why he was so concerned about his enemy's condition, but he did know that he wanted to see the boy when he came out.

When he caught up to the giant and the petite blonde, he saw that they were trying to cut Reiner out of his Titan. Eren quickly scrambled up onto the nape just in time to see Bertholdt remove a hunk of muscle, exposing Reiner's bare back. His shirt must've evaporated from the heat inside the Titan.

Bertholdt immediately dropped his knife and hooked his arms under his friend's shoulders, pulling with all he had. When Reiner didn't budge, the giant looked over at Krista." Cut the muscle off of him, quickly! He got too attached and now he's stuck!"

"Right!.." Krista shakily grabbed the knife and walked over to Reiner's partially exposed back. Eren could see the poor girl didn't want to do the deed, so he walked over and took the knife from her." I should do this."

Krista blinked at him." When did you get here?"

"Guys, now is not the time! Eren, Krista, Ymir, Mikasa- damnit, just someone help me!" Bertholdt yelled, tugging futilely on his friend. Eren silently stepped forward and began to saw off the muscle connected to the brawny blonde. A few minutes later, the giant gave a good heave and Reiner came out easily. Bertholdt gently tugged his friend's arm over his shoulder before looking over at Eren.

"Will you help me carry him? We have to get him to the infirmary."

Eren blinked at him in complete confusion." To the informa-what?"

Bertholdt sighed." Sorry, it's another way of saying hospital. Will you help me?"

Eren scowled down at his feet before marching over to Bertholdt." I can't believe I'm doing this..."

"Thank you, Eren."


	7. Homeward Bound

Krista couldn't help but look in horror at the unconscious body before her. Reiner was pale, way too pale, and what she could see of his body was covered in markings like the ones around his eyes. In addition to those oddities, he was covered black-blue bruises and burning with a fever so high, no normal human would've lived through it.

Bertholdt was bustling all around her, giving the blonde various liquids and medicines. Krista herself was doing her part to help the sick blonde, using a cloth to gently wash off the sweat that Reiner's body was producing and lowering his temperature. On the next bed over sat Eren, watching the two of them work with a mixture a scowl, concern, and curiosity on his face. Ymir was nowhere to be found.

A knock sounded on the infirmary door, and it opened to reveal none other than Zeke himself. He crossed the room to hover over their patient while Krista eyed him uneasily. She didn't like people who were willing to beat others to a pulp, especially if they were comrades.

"How is he, Bertholdt?" Zeke asked, examining the blonde boy. Bertholdt paused his care for a moment to salute his superior.

"He's stable, Captain. He will need to rest for another day or two before waking up and being able to move around. But Reiner needs to stay away from transforming for a week or two to get back all his strength."

"I see... I think I went a little too far with his beating yesterday."

"You think?..." Eren hissed. All eyes turned to him, slightly shocked that he was speaking at all.

"What was that?" Zeke asked, turning his body slightly to fully face the pissed off boy.

Eren glared at him." You think you went to far?! Reiner isn't going to wake up for two days! And look at him, when he does wake up, he's going to hurt like hell!"

Zeke calmly gazed down at Eren." Bertholdt, what is this boy's name?"

Krista saw the giant hesitate for a moment." His name is Eren, Eren Yeager."

Zeke blinked quickly at the name, and Krista could've sworn he'd looked shocked, but he recovered quickly and continued."I see... Eren, it was Reiner who challenged me."

"That didn't mean you needed to pulverize him! Just winning is enough!"

Zeke looked down sternly at Eren." Are you telling me how I should punish my officers?"

"I don't see anything that deserves punishment like this!"

"Eren, shut up." 

All heads snapped in the direction of the door, where Ymir was leaned up against the doorframe. Pieck had silently walked into the room and settled herself down on one of the beds.

"Huh?! Why the hell should I?! Do you see what he's done to Reiner?!" Eren shrieked. Ymir sighed irritability before walking forward and slapping Eren across the face.

"Ymir! That wasn't necessary!" Krista gasped, horrified. Bertholdt stared in wide eyed shock as Eren slowly registered what had just occurred. His face went from shocked to enraged as he rounded on the freckled girl.

"What the hell was that for?!"

"Unless you want another one, you'd best shut up," said Ymir quietly. Eren blinked in confusion at her tone, or rather, the lack of it. Krista also noticed and slowly set the damp cloth she had on Reiner's hot head.

"...Ymir...are you okay? You haven't been yourself lately."

Ymir sighed again and shook her head." I'm fine, sweetheart. I just know that if Eren keeps running his mouth like this, he's going to end up like me."

"What do you mean," end up like you"?" Eren asked, looking halfway between angry and confused.

"Can't say. You'll find out soon enough."

Eren bit down on a growl of frustration as Ymir seated herself down on a bed next to Krista, giving the beaten up blonde a once over." That is gonna hurt like hell when he wakes up."

Bertholdt nodded quietly as Krista picked up the cloth and began dabbing at Reiner's bruised body again. Zeke watched them for a moment before clearing his throat.

"I came here to tell you we will be leaving in a couple of hours. You should get everyone ready."

With that, the Beast Titan walked out of the infirmary, leaving all the teens in the room. Silence fell over them before Pieck lifted her head.

"Bertholdt, your widows peak is more pronounced these days. Do you fix your hair?"

Said boy looked incredulously at the girl before groaning and hiding his face in his hands." Good old Pieck," he mumbled as everyone else giggled.

.............................................................................................................................

Eren couldn't believe he hadn't noticed before. It was huge. 

His green eyes stared out at the big blue before him. It definitely smelled like salt, and the breeze accompanying the scent was cool and fresh. He couldn't believe that he was actually seeing the ocean, the big lake filled with so much salt that no one could sell it all. Eren bowed his head in sadness as the sound of waves hitting shore filled his ears.

"It's big, isn't it?"

Bertholdt slowly approached Eren, the wind whipping his hair off his forehead and tugging at the long coat he was wearing. He watched as Eren's shoulders curled inward when the boy nodded.

"What do you think of the sea?"

"...It makes me think of Armin."

Bertholdt blinked in confusion." Why? Is it because of his eyes?"

"No.... When we were younger, Armin found a book in his grandpa's basement. It was about the outside world."

Bertholdt started, but Eren didn't notice." In that book were lands of fiery water, rocks so big they touched the sky,fields of sand and plains ice...and the sea. Armin always wanted to see the sea. And here I'm standing, about to see it all...and he's not here to see it with me."

Bertholdt looked down at his feet in silence. They stood there, side by side, saying nothing.

"Oi! You two, move your asses! We're leaving!" Ymir yelled at them from a little ways away.

"We'll be there in just a minute!" Bertholdt called back before looking back down at Eren. The green eyed giant was shocked to see that his shoulders were shaking.

"I...I-I'm never coming back here, am I? I'm never going to see any of our- my friends again."

Bertholdt nodded, hearing the terror and sadness in Eren's voice. He knew without looking that Eren was on the verge of breaking down and crying. Bertholdt himself knew how it felt, to leave your home that you were probably never going to come back to. The first night on the island was spent with him silently letting tears soothe him to sleep. And that was before Ymir popped up out of nowhere and sent their plan haywire.

Eren's hands clenched into fists as a few tears spilled out of his eyes." I never got to tell anyone goodbye...,"he whispered hoarsely, sinking to his knees. Right now, more than ever, was a time that he missed his mom. He desperately needed some kind of comforting and guidance that only mothers knew how to give. He was about to leave the only home he had ever known to be taken with Titan-Shifters that had been responsible for the genocide in the Walls. And he was never coming back.

Bertholdt looked down on Eren's hunched form with pity, before kneeling down and gently shaking his shoulder." It's time..."

Eren sniffled, wiping his eyes on his sleeve before shaking off the giant's hand. He stood and looked Bertholdt square in the eye. It was an unspoken plead to be left alone, and Bertholdt silently obliged as they started towards the ship that was going to take them home.

The moment the Warrior set foot on the boat with Eren, he was swarmed by people wearing white armbands that he knew all to well.

"Warrior Hoover! Warrior Hoover! Job well done on completing your mission, sir! We're all so grateful you and the other Warriors could punish those island demons and take the key to save the world!" It was all his ears could hear as his lips tightened in a barely discernible frown. He kept his head down and waded through his fellow Eldians to lead Eren to his room, trying his best to ignore how ignorant they were. It wasn't their fault they didn't know the truth.

After walking below decks, Bertholdt steered Eren down several hallways, dipping his head whenever he saw an Eldian. They eventually made it to Eren's room, where Bertholdt hastily showed him in. 

"Alright, the ship is going to depart in a few minutes. Since you've never been to sea before, I'll come check on you in an hour. If you need something before then, just go to the third door on the right. That's my room. Is there anything you need before I leave?"

Eren shook his head." No. I've got a lot on my mind. I'm just going to sleep."

Bertholdt nodded and left the room, quietly shutting the door behind him before leaning heavily against it. He could hear the excited chatter everywhere.

"They're back! Our Warriors are coming home!"

"The World is safe from the rumble! They got the Coordinate!"

"I wonder, how did they deal with with all those Eldian demons? Surely they had to punish a few, right?"

Bertholdt sighed and headed to the upper decks. This was going to be a long trip.

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Word Count: 1573

Next Chapter! Bertholdt explains everything to Eren and Krista, while Ymir gives her own input. Maybe Reiner wakes up? I dunno yet.

Thanks for reading!


	8. Of Seasickness and Stories

Eren slowly sat down on the bed. He felt numb. When he had boarded the ship, the people wearing armbands had crowded around them and were congratulating him on obtaining some key, on punishing the island demons. What the hell did they mean?! And that wasn't bothering him half as much as the ship he found himself on. It was huge, and strange. It was made out of metal instead of wood, and he had seen so many bizarre contraptions on the ship he had no idea what to think about it.

Shaking his head,Eren leaned over and tugged off his boots. They were probably the only thing he'd have as a keepsake of his home, other than his key. He layed himself down on the firm bed and stared blankly at the ceiling above him. A few minutes later, he closed his eyes and let blissful blackness take over his senses.

...............................................................................................

A few hours later, Eren woke up to a strange, swaying sensation. He groggily lifted his head from the pillow before registering something else. His green eyes flew wide open as he jumped out of his bed, searching wildly for something he could use. 

Eren caught sight of a nearby bucket and immediately darted over to it, emptying the contents of his upset stomach into it. Why he felt this sick, he didn't know, but he sure as hell didn't like it. When he finished, Eren shakily wiped his mouth on his sleeve and stood. Bertholdt had told him his room was three doors down, right? As much as Eren wanted to avoid the Warriors, he had no choice if he wanted to get by. 

He clumsily stumbled to the door and threw it open, already feeling his stomach start to churn again. For safe measure, Eren clapped his hand over his mouth and stepped out into the the hallway, counting the doors till he found the right one. He then proceeded to throw it open and slam it behind him before slowly sinking to his knees. The nausea was really messing with his strength.

Thank goodness he'd opened the right door. Bertholdt and Ymir were on their knees on either side of Krista, who was clearly having the same problems as Eren, her pretty face hidden by a bucket she was hovering over.

"Eren. I was just about to check on you," said Bertholdt, looking up from the sick blonde. He slid another bucket toward the sick boy, who was now having trouble keeping down the bile in his throat." I guess you're having the same problem as Krista."

Eren then proceeded to once again empty his stomach into the bucket, internally cursing every damn thing he could think of at the moment as the blonde girl lifted her head and groaned, skin tinged slightly grey-green." Is this what it feels like to be pregnant?"

Ymir huffed in amusement." You are asking the wrong people, sweetie."

Krista groaned and sat up, looking at the green eyed giant with big eyes." How come only Eren and I are sick?" she asked with a pout.

Bertholdt fiddled with his hair sheepishly."...Because you two don't have your sea legs yet."

Eren looked up from his bucket to glare feebly at the giant." What the hell is that supposed to mean?..."

"Well...when people spend time on the open sea, their bodies eventually get used to the swaying of the boat. Since you two have never been to sea before...you guys are going to be sick."

"That's helpful. Anything you can give us to make it stop?" Eren growled before bending over his bucket again.

"Yeah, he does, but let me warn you both, it tastes like absolute shit," said Ymir, rubbing Krista's back as she continued to heave. Eren's head snapped up immediately.

"I don't care. Give me some. Now."

Ymir chuckled at Eren's tone as Bertholdt sighed.

"Alright, but Ymir is right; it tastes pretty much like the way you're feeling right now," he said, standing up and walking over to a cupboard. When he opened it, Eren could see various bottles like the ones his dad had. Bertholdt grabbed a skinny blue one and pulled out two spoons before shutting the cabinet. He then carefully measured them both out a spoonful of dark indigo liquid, handing one to each of them. Eren looked at it skeptically.

"What, don't want it anymore, Yeager?" Ymir drawled, taking the spoon from Krista's hand. Eren shot her an ugly look.

"No, I'm going to take it! It's just...new. Like all of the weird things I've been seeing lately."

Bertholdt smiled wearily." All this? Just wait till we get back to the mainland. There are a lot of things there that you probably have never imagined."

"Quit stalling and take the medicine already!"Ymir shouted. Then she turned to Krista.

"Sweetie, open wide. Really wide."

The blonde blinked at her in confusion." Ymir? What are you- ACK! UUUK! GAHH!"

Ymir shoved the spoon in Krista's mouth, and the moment the liquid made contact, her blue eyes went wide. She doubled over, gagging as Ymir alternated between rubbing and smacking her back. Eren watched the scene with wide, owlish eyes. He slowly turned his gaze to Bertholdt.

"Is it really that bad?" Eren asked, grimacing slightly. Bertholdt gave him a silent nod, and Eren looked apprehensively at the spoon in his hand.

"Alright then...here goes..." Eren screwed his eyes shut and tipped the spoon into his mouth. The instant the liquid was inside, the Rogue boy slapped a hand over his mouth. It was the worst thing he had ever put in his mouth. It burned like black pepper, but tasted like rotten eggs and dead fish. His stomach fought with him as he tried to swallow, resulting in him choking on bile, medicine, and spit. For a minute, he couldn't breathe. Then...

Wham!

The stubborn threesome went down his throat, and air filled his lungs, triggering a violent coughing fit. Two more blows were delivered to Eren's back before he could actually breathe enough to see. Looking up through watery eyes, he saw Bertholdt standing over him with an outstretched hand and a concerned face.

"You okay?"

Eren nodded mutely before bending over and resting his forehead against the floor with a groan." That....was the worst thing...I have ever put... in my mouth."

"Yeah, but after a few minutes you're going to feel like your good old kicking and screaming self," said Ymir with a grin. Beside her, Krista looked like she was already starting to feel the effects of the medicine, cautiously raising herself to her feet. When she didn't get sick, she gave the giant a grateful smile and sat down in a nearby chair.

Eren huffed as he dragged himself to his feet. He did feel drastically better than he did a few minutes before, and he could feel the strength returning to his body. And as much as he didn't want to do it, he knew he was going to have to show his appreciation.

"Thanks...Bertl..."

The green eyed giant gave him a nod and a tiny smile before turning to put the medicine back.

"Since you two are feeling better, is there anything you want to know? About anything? Since we're on our way home, I can explain more," Bertholdt asked when he turned to face them again. Krista immediately perked up.

"Where is your hometown?"

Bertholdt crossed the cabin until he came to a desk littered with papers. Opening a drawer, he pulled out a map and layed it out on the floor in front of Krista. Eren scooted closer to get a better look at it. 

"This is Paradis, the island of the Walls. And right now, I think we're right about here somewhere," he began, pointing first to a beige colored shape surrounded by blue, then a spot in the middle of the blue. Then his finger landed on another beige spot.

"This is Marley, where Reiner and I come from. Marley is the largest and most powerful country in the world. We've won war after war for almost a century..."

"Mhm...and how exactly were those wars won, Bertholdt?" Ymir asked mockingly. At her words, Bertholdt dipped his head.

"...We won those wars with Titans."

Eren's eyes nearly popped out of his head." Wait, what?! What the hell is that supposed to mean?!"

"It means that good old Bertl here is just a weapon for his country, as are most Eldians in general."

"What!? What the hell are Eldians?!"

Bertholdt sighed." Ymir, knock it off. You're not helping in the slightest, so please shut up and let me explain." Ymir shot the giant a pout that he ignored as he continued to explain.

"To answer your question, Eren...we are Eldians. The people up top with all the armbands? They're Eldians too."

"Why are Eldians so special?" Krista asked. Bertholdt grimaced.

"...We're not, other than the fact the we are the only race that can turn into Titans."

Eren blinked as the words sank in before going pale." Wait...are you saying...that for the past one hundred years...the Scouts have been...killing humans?...."

"Mhm. Trust me, Yeager, you're doing them a favor by killing them. When someone gets turned into a Titan, their entire life gets turned to shit, ash, and blood. The only way to wake up from the nightmare is to die or get lucky like me."

Krista looked over at Ymir." Do you mean you were...a normal Titan once? You ate people?"

"Mhm. And unfortunately for the Titan trio, my first victim was my last."

Bertholdt looked down at the neglected map as Eren turned his gaze to the freckled girl."...What do you mean?..."

"What Ymir means is that she took the power of the Jaw Titan by eating my friend Marcel."

Eren looked at Bertholdt in shock." Wait, she ate him and got the power!?....Does that mean that I... I... Oh, God... I ate someone!? I can't remember ever turning into-"

Eren froze when Bertholdt put a hand on his shoulder." I think that's enough for today. You should all go rest. This is a lot to take in, so I suggest you go back to your rooms and mull over what we've told you."

Eren nodded dumbly as he pulled himself to his feet. He barely even heard anything as he walked the short distance to his room. When he plopped himself on his bed, the only questions going through his head were the ones no one could answer; when did he eat someone, and who had he eaten?"

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Word Count: 1745


	9. Brothers

Eren's head would not stop spinning.

Much like the day before, he had gone to Bertholdt's room to learn about this new world he was being taken to. This time, Ymir and Krista weren't there, leaving Eren alone with the giant. This way, Bertholdt was able to explain everything to him properly, giving him enough room to breathe and sort out the facts. This was how he learned about Marley, Liberio, and the nine Titans. Afterwards, in his room, he couldn't help but realize that all his friends-no, everyone- in Paradis were screwed three times over.

Knock-Knock-Knock.

Eren lifted his head from his pillow and glared at the door. Who the bloody hell was awake and knocking on his door at this time of night?

The person on the other side of the door knocked again, a little more insistently. Eren narrowed his eyes at the door." Who is it, and what do you want?"

The door opened to reveal the one and only Zeke Yeager, calmly standing in the doorway with a strange glint in his eye.

"May I come in?"

Eren scowled at him." Is that really a question you need to ask?"

The bearded man shrugged and stepped through the door, shutting it gently behind him. Then he went and made himself comfortable in a chair by the foot of the bed Eren lay in. Of course, Eren didn't like it one bit. He sat up with a scowl and glared at Zeke.

"What do you want?"

Zeke sighed and scratched his ear." I wanted to talk to you."

"About what?" Eren growled.

Zeke calmly looked into Eren's blue green orbs." I wanted to talk about someone who may have been close to you on the island."

"So you're trying to get information about potential enemies. Fat chance, monkey."

Zeke sighed and scratched at his ear again." I guess it's too much too ask for you to be agreeable. I wanted to know about a certain...doctor."

Eren shut his mouth and continued to glare at the blonde man. He wasn't going to tell this guy anything.

"I imagine he was a great doctor, having vast amounts of medical knowledge." Eren didn't respond. Zeke face palmed himself internally. Bertholdt had been right when he said the boy would be less than agreeable. 

"I think his name was Grisha Yeager, right?"

Eren's face contorted into an expression of confused rage."How the hell do you know about my dad!?"

Zeke sighed." So he is your father?... I thought he might've been after I saw you and heard your name..."

"Cut the crap! How do you know anything about him?!" Eren yelled. This guy was really starting to piss him off. How the hell did he know someone, let alone his dad, inside the Walls? Zeke lifted a finger and pressed them beneath his furry mustache.

"I would rather no one heard us just now, Eren. I wanted to keep this between you and me for now." 

What makes you think I'm going to talk to you? Or keep this a secret?" Eren hissed.

Instead of replying, Zeke reached into his pocket and pulled out a piece of strange paper. He set it down before the young boy to let him see it. Leaning forward, Eren saw that is was some kind of really detailed sketch of a family; a man, his wife, and his young son.

"Who are these people?" Eren asked skeptically, still studying the picture.

"This photograph shows my parents and I, from when I was much younger. But please, take a closer look at the man, would you?"

Eren gave him a glare before returning his gaze to the bizarre picture, looking closely at the man as he was instructed to. The man had straight dark hair neatly parted down the middle, and emerald green eyes....

Eren's own green eyes went wide as he recognized the man's face.

It was a younger version of his own father, Grisha Yeager.

Zeke watched Eren' reaction carefully as the boy looked from Zeke to the photo.

"What- What the hell is this?! You're his son?!" Eren spluttered, trying to wrap his head around the fact he probably knew next to nothing about his dad.

"Yes. I am Zeke Yeager, and my father was a doctor by the name of Grisha Yeager. I'm guessing that my assumption of him being your father too is correct?"

Eren's shocked silence gave the blonde man his answer.

"I see... That makes us brothers. Or half-brothers, whichever one you prefer," said Zeke, scratching at his ear while watching Eren curiously.

Eren wasn't sure how much more he could take of this. Humans were Titans, Eldians are the humans that turn into Titans, humanity was never wiped out, and now he had a brother from outside the Walls? He'd had enough. His mind was going to tear itself to pieces if it kept getting new information and no time to sort it out.

Eren fixed his cold gaze on his supposed half brother. "Right now, I think I prefer to have no brother."

Zeke nodded, getting the message Eren was sending. He stood up and was at the door in one fluid motion. He opened it and stepped outside, but turned to face Eren before closing the door.

"Eren...these past few days have been hard on you. Get some rest, and when you are ready to talk, come find me. Good night."

Eren watched Zeke shut the door before slumping in his chair, looking at the picture in his hand. There was no doubt about it; it was definitely his father, which meant two things. The first was that Zeke was his brother, obviously.

It also meant that his father had come from outside the Walls.

Eren got up and fell heavily on his bed as anger filled him. His dad had known, known about everything! And he left everyone in the dark. If he had known, why the hell the hell hadn't he said something?! Damn him, damn Zeke, damn that damn key!

Eren's eyes widened. The key....

Reaching below his shirt, Eren slowly pulled the key he father had given him. His dad had given him the key to the basement, said that everyone's lives depended on him getting back to the basement... Was he hiding something about the outside world in there?

"Dad...where are you? And what the hell are you planning?" Eren mumbled before shutting his eyes. A few moments later, he was fast asleep.

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Word Count: 1076

Eren...needs a minute to adjust to having a brother. Eventually, he's gonna love him like one! Just wait till he meets his grandparents!

Next chapter: Reiner wakes up, and they arrive in Marley. Eren learns a little bit more about Bertholdt and Reiner. Ymir....is Ymir, like always.


	10. Chapter 10

Sore. 

That was the first thing Reiner thought. He was really, really sore. Everywhere.

He slowly opened his golden eyes and saw the ceiling above him was different than the one in the cabins on Paradis. Then he registered the slight swaying motion and his eyes went wide. That swaying could only mean one thing.

They were on a ship. 

They were going home.

Without Annie.

"Damn it." Reiner slowly eased his body up to a sitting position and rubbed his aching temples. How long had he been out for? A day or two? He threw back the blankets and slowly swung his legs off the bed, testing his legs strength before attempting to stand. He reached his arms back and over his head, feeling the muscles in his back stretch and loosen up. He was so sore...

The door to his cabin swung open to reveal Bertholdt. The moment he saw him the giant's eyes went wide in shock." Reiner! You're awake!"

"Yeah...I've been up for a minute or two," said Reiner, stretching his arms across his his chest.

Bertholdt walked in and shut the door behind him." How are you feeling?"

Reiner grimaced." Like shit. My whole body aches and I'm sore as hell."

Bertholdt sighed and shifted his eyes to the floor." Challenging Zeke like that wasn't smart. Especially when you weren't fully recovered."

Reiner huffed and fell back on his bed." I know...but I had to try. It's not fair that she doesn't get to come home with us."

"Since when is anything in our life fair, Reiner? We've all been given the short end of the stick," said Bertholdt bitterly. A heavy silence fell between the two before Bertholdt opened up a drawer in a chest by the foot of the bed.

"We'll be docking at the harbor in an hour, so you should probably put these on. I'll go get mine on and come back to get you," the giant instructed, throwing a bundle of clothing at him. Reiner caught them and shook them out onto his lap. It was one of the old uniforms he used to wear, all green with the black straps, belt and boots. But there was one thing that made nostalgia hit him hard; the red armband with the golden star. 

"See you in a minute, Reiner," said Bertholdt quietly, seeing the slightly pained look on his friend's face. He quietly walked to the door and shut it behind him before walking to his own room, where he had layed out his own uniform. He quickly stripped off his clothes, grateful that the ship carried uniforms that fit him. It was hard finding pants that fit him with his incredibly long legs.

"Impressive. Your physique is amazing. Incredibly lean and tall, but you still have a lot more defined muscle than when you left," said a lazy voice. Bertholdt, still shirtless, yelped and spun around to see Pieck sitting in the chair by the window, watching him curiously. Her comment and her stare made his face flush hotly as he swiftly pulled the uniform top over his head.

"P-Pieck!? What are you doing in my room?! While I'm changing?!" Bertholdt screeched, folding his arms over his chest self consciously. He'd known Pieck had peculiar habits a couple years ago, but this was just downright uncomfortable. She gave a lazy smile and propped her chin in her hand.

"I just wanted to spend time with you. It's been five years since we last saw each other."

Bertholdt sighed and dropped his arms to his sides." Yeah... Reiner and I missed you guys. Well, we definitely missed you, but I'm not sure if Reiner missed Porco..."

Pieck nodded lazily and yawned.

"We should definitely spend some time together, but please don't come into my room without letting me know...and could you refrain from making comments about my...whatever you called it?"

Pieck flashed him a carefree smile." Of course. How's Reiner?"

"He's awake, but definitely been better. He said he was really sore, and you could definitely see that he needs rest. Want to come say hi?"

Pieck shook her head and stood up." No, Zeke is expecting me soon. I just wanted to see how you're doing."

Bertholdt ran a hand through his black hair and nodded." Alright. I have to go check on Reiner and make sure he doesn't need my help. See you around, Pieck."

The messy haired girl simply hummed in reply as she walked out the door, leaving the green eyed giant alone. With a sigh, he turned to the bed and picked up the last piece of his uniform; the all too familiar red armband that marked him as Eldian. Bertholdt slowly slipped it onto his left arm, reveling in the last few moments of freedom. He never thought that putting the thing on would make him feel so sad; it made him think of all the years he'd spent without it...

Bertholdt quickly shook himself out of his thoughts and walked out the door. If he was thinking these thoughts and feeling these feelings, Reiner was sure to be doing the same.

Once he reached his friend's door, he knocked on it. A moment later, a muffled "Come in," was heard, and Bertholdt opened the door to see his friend staring at himself in the mirror, frowning at his reflection and fiddling with the armband on his left bicep.

"You okay, Reiner?..." Bertholdt asked gently, watching Reiner's face in the mirror.

"...Yeah..it's just...you know...it's been awhile." Reiner's face became really distant and sad for a minute as he stared at the golden star." To think, after everything I've done, after I've worked so hard...it's never going to happen. I can't believe that I really thought he would come back..."

Reiner's face turned into something between bitterness and pain as he shut his eyes and turned from the mirror, completely forgetting that his best friend was with him. Bertholdt stared at him, wide eyed. He'd never seen the blonde like this; the Reiner he knew was honest, and bore pain, emotional and physical, really well. The boy in front of him looked like he had sunk to the lowest of the low.

"Reiner?... What are you talking about? Who's...he?"

Golden eyes widened in shock as Reiner looked at Bertholdt, startled." Shit. Did I just say that out loud? My bad."

Bertholdt blinked in bewilderment." Are you okay?"

Reiner face molded into a smile and he clapped a hand on Bertholdt's shoulder." Don't worry about me, Bertl. I'm fine, just a little nostalgic. I'm sure that Krista and Eren need our help, so we should go check on them and see how they're doing."

Without another word, Reiner walked past the giant out the door, heading toward the upper decks. Bertholdt watched him go, concern evident on his face. All he could think was; what the hell was Reiner hiding?

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"What are these?" Krista asked, putting a red armband on her right arm as she sat on the couch.

Ymir, stretched out in a chair with a similar red armband, yawned." You could say it's a marker for all us Eldians."

"Why would they need to mark us?" Eren asked, scowling at the armband in his hand.

"Because without them, it's impossible to tell us apart from all the other races. It's also handy for showing rank," said a familiar voice from the doorway. All heads turned to see Reiner leaning on the doorframe and giving them a strained, but happy smile. Behind him, just like always, was Bertholdt.

"Reiner! You're awake! How are you feeling?" Krista chirped, returning his smile sweetly. Reiner shrugged and walked into the room.

"Well...to be honest, saying I feel great is an overstatement...but I definitely feel better."

Ymir snorted." What you mean to say is that you're sore as hell but hiding it with a smile and fancy words."

"Exactly," Reiner deadpanned before turning to Eren." You should get that on. People here...they can be very harsh about their rules being broken." 

Eren shifted his gaze from the band to the blonde." Why should I follow their rules?" he sneered.

Reiner sighed." It makes everyone's lives a whole hell of a lot better. Please, Eren, behave. The people here don't think very well of the islanders..."

"Yeah, I know. Bertholdt told us that they think we're all just a horde of sadistic demons."

Silence fell over the group until a voice spoke from the door.

"Reiner, it's good to see that you're up. How are you feeling?"

Reiner spun around and snapped out a salute to Zeke.

"I am perfectly fine, sir. I woke up about ten minutes ago."

Zeke chuckled." At ease, Reiner. I wanted to apologize for that beating. I went too far."

"No, sir, there is no need to apologize. I challenged you, and I got what I asked for." Reiner didn't relax even a little bit. Zeke sighed heavily. 

"Reiner, seriously, relax. I haven't said anything, nor will I. What we had was...an understanding."

Reiner blinked and relaxed a bit." Thanks, Zeke..."

Zeke smiled and patted the blonde's shoulder."No worries, Reiner. We're Warriors. We take care of each other."

"Reiner, did you do a lot of heavy lifting on the island? Your build is the one the largest I've seen," said Pieck stepping casually into the room and laying down on the sofa next to Krista. Everyone stared at her as Reiner slapped a hand to his forehead.

"Pieck?! Are you flirting with me or something!? You know that it's kind of awkward to comment on someone's body, right!?"

Pieck flashed him a lazy smile." Mmm...it's not awkward to be curious."

Bertholdt sighed." Good old Pieck. Count yourself lucky she didn't ask you while you were changing."

Zeke and Reiner both raised a brow at the green eyed giant, who waved them off." Don't ask, it's not important."

Zeke nodded and cleared his throat." Very well. We should start heading to the upper deck. It's about time for us to present ourselves."

Ymir stood up with a huff and stretched." Then why are we still waiting? Let's go!" 

Eren scowled and quickly attached the band to his left arm as Zeke and Bertholdt filed out of the room, following them. Pieck and Ymir went next, and Krista right behind them when a large hand gently stopped her.

"Wait a sec, Krista. Your band is on the wrong arm," said Reiner, quickly slipping the band onto the correct arm." We're supposed to wear them on the left."

"Why is that?" Krista asked curiously. Reiner shrugged sheepishly.

"To be honest, I really don't know. It's always been that way..."

Krista nodded, then pointed to the door." Will you tell me more about the armbands while we catch up?"

Reiner nodded and flashed her a smile, heading for the door." Of course. What do you want to know about them?"

Krista followed him through the door before he shut it behind them." Well...what does the star stand for?" 

Reiner scratched the back of his neck." Well...the star is like the worldwide symbol of the Eldians."

"I see... Why is yours red, while the ones above are white?" Krista asked, pulling her hair into a loose ponytail.

"The colors tell people what we are. The white bands are civilians or troop, yellow bands are Warrior candidates, and red bands are Warriors," Reiner answered as they reached the stairs leading to the top deck.

"Warrior candidates?"

"Yeah...people who are next in line to inherit a Titan after our time is up," said Reiner uneasily.

Krista heard his uneasiness and stopped her ascent to look at him." What do you mean, after your time is up?"

Reiner looked away from her pretty blue eyes and pointed ahead, suddenly very interested their destination." Come on, Krista! We should hurry!" He gently grabbed her hand and began to pull a baffled Krista along. He really didn't want to break the news to her about the Curse.

...........................................................................................................

Eren's eyes were about to pop out of his head. He couldn't believe what he was seeing. It was huge!...

"...Eren, are you listening?"

Eren swiveled his head to look at a very serious Bertholdt staring him down." What?"

Bertholdt sighed and started fiddling with his hair." Eren, listen to me. This is very important. Do you understand?"

Eren nodded, confused by the seriousness of the giant. He looked like he was about to pop a blood vessel, he was staring at him so hard.

"When we get off this ship, you are not to speak. You have to be silent until we tell you, no matter what someone else says. And do not look anywhere but at the backs of the people in front of you. Got it?

Eren blinked." Yeah, I got it. When do we leave?"

"We leave the boat in two minutes. Is everyone ready?" Zeke asked, coming up behind Bertholdt with Pieck and Ymir in tow.

"Yes sir!" said Reiner, joining the group holding hands with Krista. He quickly dropped it when Ymir gave him a death glare.

"Good, everybody's here. Let's go," commanded Zeke, walking toward the gangplank. Everyone filed in behind him; Bertholdt and Reiner flanking his left and right respectively with Eren between them, Ymir and Krista side by side behind the boys, and Pieck bringing up the rear.

"What are we waiting for?" Eren asked. 

"The horn to announce our arrival. It'll sound any second now," Zeke answered, giving Eren an encouraging smile over his shoulder. Eren quickly averted his eyes, not quite ready for his brother.

Whroooooooooooooooommmmmmmm!......

Eren and Krista both yelped when the booming sound assaulted their ears while the rest of the Warriors and Ymir stood stoically. A small tap on his shoulder made him look up at the giant on his left.

"It's time; remember what I said. Do not react,"Bertholdt whispered before starting down the gangplank. Eren shook his head and followed the blonde and black heads of the people in front of him.

The moment Eren's foot left the wood of the dock, he knew something was wrong. When his feet began to walk on a cobblestone road, he knew why; it was too quiet. No one was cheering, no one was whispering...it was completely silent. Eren cast a concerned look at the giant on his left only to find him sweating heavily, like he he did when he was extremely nervous. A glance at Reiner revealed his face to be as hard as the armor on his Titan. What the hell?!...

Eren quickly looked past the blonde to scour the crowd and was shocked to see hateful glares nailing them all in the head. What they hell are they staring at us like that for? Eren was about to reciprocate with a glare of his own when long fingers forcefully turned his head.

"Eyes forward, Eren. Don't look at them. Don't react," Bertholdt whispered as his hand left Eren's head. The moment the giant's hand dropped, a loud, angry voice spoke up.

"Damn you, you filthy Eldian scum! Go back to the hell you came from!"

"You evil demons! You don't deserve to live!" yelled a woman.

Soon, every filthy word Eren had ever heard and more was tossed their way from the merciless crowd. A few children were bold enough to throw rocks at Reiner, who took the hits without a sound. Eren stared at Zeke's back in horror. This was worse than the reception the Scouts got when they came back after an expedition. 

...Has it always been like this, you guys?... Eren asked mentally, feeling sympathy for his companions beside him.

"Eldian scum!"

"Go burn in hell like you deserve, freaks!"

"Monsters!"

"Eldian filth!"

"You should never have been created!"

Eren was so focused on all the insults being thrown at them that he didn't even realize that they had walked through a set of doors until they shut behind them. He blinked and looked over to see Krista looking horribly pale and Ymir uncharacteristicly somber. Behind them, Pieck looked unaffected.

"Damn. I never realized just how hard that was going to be. How the hell did we do it back then, Bertl?" Eren's eyes found the brawny blonde leaning against the wall with a pained look on his face. Across from him stood Bertholdt, who was shaking violently and sweating profusely.

"All those people...why?" Krista whispered, blue eyes staring at the unaffected Warriors. Pieck shrugged.

"Those people are Marleyans. They're not all like that, but the people who really hate Eldians gather every time we leave or return from a mission."

"Why do they hate us so much?!"

Pieck opened her mouth to answer, but another voice cut her off." Isn't it obvious, blondie? It's cause we're monsters."

All heads turned to see a boy with slicked back reddish blonde hair and blue eyes glowering at them. Out of the corner of his eye, Eren saw Reiner stiffen and Ymir drop her head.

"Seems like you chumps are back. Where the hell is Marcel?"

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Word Count:2837


	11. Getting Comfortable

Ymir flopped back on her bed, relaxing for the first time since she stepped off the boat. She was mentally exhausted from the long day, but couldn't sleep for the life of her. All the freckled girl could think about was Galliard.

"Where the hell is Marcel?"

Ymir dipped her head and stared at her feet. Here it was. It was the beginning of her end.

She heard Bertholdt let out a shaky sigh." I'm sorry, Porco... Marcel...he didn't make it."

Silence.

"What the FUCK do you mean by "didn't make it?!

"I'm what they mean," said Ymir, stepping forward. Porco froze, looking her up and down before slowly turning his head to look at Reiner.

"You...you had something to do with it, didn't you, Braun?" he hissed, taking a menacing step in the blonde's direction." I know from the look on your face that something happened, and you'd better tell me..."

Reiner sighed and looked down at his feet. Ymir, despite the dislike she had for him, felt a little pity for him. He looked like he was going to break into tiny little pieces.

"The night before we reached the Wall...Marcel told me something...and the next morning, I was so preoccupied with what he'd told me....that I didn't notice a Titan come out of the ground behind me.... Marcel...he pushed me out of the way when the Titan tried to grab me...and got caught instead...."

It had taken both Zeke and Bertholdt to subdue Porco when he had attacked Reiner. When he had refused to calm down, Bertholdt knocked him out and drug him to the infirmary. Reiner had followed him with a broken nose, a couple knocked out teeth,a lot of broken skin, and a black eye. The poor guy hadn't even lifted a finger against his attacker...

A small knock on her door brought her out of her thoughts. Ymir smiled, knowing exactly who that knock belonged to.

"Sweetie, you do not have to knock. Just come on in," the freckled girl called. A moment later, Krista's blonde head popped in and gave her a smile.

"Hey Ymir... How are you doing?" the blonde asked, shutting the door behind her.

"I'm fine. I was just thinking about the whole situation earlier."

Krista nodded and hopped on the bed, making herself comfortable at the foot.

"Yeah, I feel bad for both sides... Porco lost his brother, and Reiner watched it happen..."

"Blonde boy also lost a couple teeth. Wonder if you can kiss with no teeth..."Ymir said teasingly. Krista gave her a hard look, making Ymir burst into laughter.

"Oh, Historia! You are too damn cute when you do that!"

Krista huffed." Ymir...."

The freckled girl calmed her laughter down." Alright, alright, you obviously came here to talk about something. What is it?

"Well... I wanted to know more about you, like your home here and how you got to the Walls..." Krista said, twirling her fingers in her hair.

"Hmmm....well, there isn't much to tell. I was a nameless orphan living on the streets, when I got picked up by some cult guy who made me into some figurehead to be worshipped. We got busted, I lied, and we got turned into Titans. That was all....about sixty years ago."

Krista's jaw dropped." Sixty years!?"

"Mhm. Sixty years. Things here are a lot different than the time I was born in."

"Wow..." Krista murmured. Silence fell between the two girls as they turned their attention to the view outside the window.

......................................................................................

"Ready, Reiner?"

The blonde in front of Bertholdt huffed." Bertholdt, that's the third time you've said that. Just do it, okay? The least I expect it, the less it'll-"

Crack! Bertholdt mercilessly twisted Reiner's nose back into it's proper position.

"Ow! Sonofa- damn that hurt!" Reiner gingerly cupped his aching nose as Bertholdt sat down on the bed opposite him with a huff of amusement. They were back in their old room, the one they used to sleep in before they went to Paradis. Earlier, Bertholdt patched up Reiner's cuts(they weren't allowed any of their powers while in Marley without orders), but had to fix Reiner's nose somewhere else because Porco woke up and was ready for round two. Those two never got along, and probably never would.

Reiner looked at the beds they were sitting on." Wow. We really did grow, didn't we? We're going to need new beds. These are tiny."

To illustrate his point, the blonde layed out on the bed and let his legs dangle off the edge. Everything from the knee down hung off the bed in an uncomfortable position. Reiner folded his arms behind his head and stared up at the ceiling.

"When do we get to go home?"

Bertholdt shrugged." I'm not sure. Probably in a few days, after we get settled in. Responsibility and duty before fun and family. For us at least."

Reiner nodded his head before a grin washed over his face." My mom is going to freak when she sees me. I'm going to surprise her and climb in through a window in the the kitchen."

Bertholdt chuckled, a soft smile growing on his face." Do you think you're going to fit? You just pointed out that you're a lot bigger then you were back then."

Reiner grumbled good naturedly."...Right. What about you, Bertl?"

Bertholdt fiddled with his hair as his smile grew a bit bigger." Well... I know Mother will be happy to see me, and Father, too. I hope he's gotten better... I miss hunting with him."

"Yeah...you two would bag a lot of stuff...boar, fowl, and that one deer you shot that day," said Reiner, chuckling. 

"You and I both know I did not really shoot that doe. I only hit it. Father had to finish it off for me," Bertholdt protested. 

"Well, either way, it was really good."

The two boys shared a laugh.

"Reiner, the next time we meet up at your house, you have to play," said Bertholdt. It was almost impish, the way he said it. Reiner groaned.

"Bertl...please don't. I do not want to touch that damn piano. It ruins my manliness every time I even think about it."

Another laugh bubbled out of their throats, forgetting momentarily the pain of the past and relishing the happiness the future held.

Outside the door, Eren quietly listened, thinking back to all the times the Warriors had spoken of their hometown. They had always talked about it so wistfully, you could tell it was all they wanted. To go home. To be with their families. To go back to everything they knew and loved.

"Hmm...eavesdropping?"

Eren almost yelped as he spun around to see Pieck standing behind him. She was either a really light walker, or he was thinking so hard he didn't hear her. She flashed him a smile as she walked around him to the other side of the door.

"I do it, too. It helps to keep me in the loop with all my friends," she whispered, pressing her ear to the door to listen to the boys' rambling." What did I miss?"

Eren blinked at her, completely surprised by her nonchalance." Uh...Bertholdt likes hunting and Reiner hates playing something called a piano?... That's all I heard."

She hummed and nodded, shutting her eyes to listen better. Eren followed her example, listening to the Warriors in the room as they remembered the good times and planned the future.

...............................................................................................................

Word Count: 1239

Sorry! This chapter kinda sucks! But the next two will be good, I promise!


	12. I'm Coming Home: Bertholdt

It had been almost a week since they had gotten back. Porco had stopped attacking Reiner every time he'd seen him, settling for either ignoring him completely or giving him a death glare. Eren had more or less gotten comfortable with his new home, settling in quietly. Ymir and Krista had hardly been seen other than at meals; Bertholdt guessed that that was Ymir's doing. She had been really clingy as of late.

Bertholdt woke up one morning to something-or someone-poking him in the ribs.

"Bertholdt! Wake up, man! You can't sleep in today! Bertholdt!"

Green eyes opened to find excited golden ones bearing down on him. Reiner was practically bouncing with happiness as he slapped the awkwardly positioned giant on the back." Come on, buddy! Get up!"

Bertholdt groaned as he got up from his ass-in-the-air position, straightening the cricks in his neck. "Reiner....why are you getting up this early? And waking me up too? Go back to bed."

Reiner roughly grabbed his friend's shoulders and started shaking him." Bertl! Get up! We're going home today!"

Bertholdt blinked, once, twice, before his head caught up with his ears." Wait, today!?"

"Yeah, so hurry up and get dressed!" Reiner practically threw the giant's clothes in his face before rushing out the door. Bertholdt rushed to get dressed, forgetting that he was still tangled up in his sheets and landing on the floor with a loud thud. Wincing, he pulled himself back to his feet and quickly pulled on his clothes and shoes before bolting from the room.

A few minutes later, Bertholdt crashed through the door to the Warrior's cafeteria, where Reiner was shoveling food down his throat. Across the way, Pieck watched the blonde with a bemused expression while Eren and Porco had a stare down. Zeke calmly watched them all, nodding at Bertholdt over his coffee in greating. Bertholdt nodded back respectfully before heading towards the table that the food was laid out on and filling himself a plate. He then rushed over to Reiner as carefully as he could and sat down.

Reiner looked up from his half-finished plate of food and shot the giant a grin as he sat down.

"Better eat that quickly. It's almost noon." Bertholdt gaped at him.

"Wait, what?! It's noon already!? How long did I sleep in?!"

"A good long while. I got up at around eight and did a little paperwork to wait for you to get up. Next thing I know, it's noon and you're still in bed."

Bertholdt looked down at his plate and began eating." My bad."

A few minutes of silence followed as the boys eagerly ate their food.

"Wow. I thought the only person capable of eating that fast was Sasha." 

Bertholdt offered Eren a quick smile." We have to eat fast so we can spend more time at home."

"Oh." Awkward silence filled the space as Eren sat down next to Reiner just as the blonde finished his plate.

"So...Eren...how are holding up?" Reiner asked, glancing down at the brown haired boy. Eren shrugged.

"It's not as bad as I thought it would be. Other than the Marleyans, this place is actually really cool. I just...miss Armin, Mikasa, and the others. Life isn't really the same without them here."

Reiner looked down at his plate as Bertholdt sighed." You're right. It doesn't feel the same without those guys."

Bertholdt's head snapped up. Is he out of his mind?!

Reiner continued, ignorant of Bertholdt's hardening stare. "Man, I bet those guys would- OWW! What the hell, Bertl!?"

Bertholdt had kicked Reiner in the shin, hard, under the table, as his green eyes sent warning signals.

"What's wrong, Bertholdt?" Eren asked, looking between the two boys in confusion. After a moment, Bertholdt slowly inclined his head to a table in the far corner. On the table was a gramophone. When Reiner followed the the tilt of his friend's head, his eyes widened." Oh... I forgot about that..."

"Forgot about what!?"

Bertholdt immediately turned his gaze to Eren and shook his head desperately. The boy seemed to get the point, because he immediately dropped the subject." So...you guys are going home today?.."

.................................................................................................................

Half an hour later, Bertholdt and Reiner strolled out the door into the bright Marley sun. They immediately trained their gaze on the ground, ignoring anyone and anything around them as they stared at the cobblestones below their feet. Liberio was a mile away, and with their absence from the city, they got quite a bit lost. It took them almost half an hour to remember the right path and arrive in front of the gates to the Eldian internment zone.As they approached, two men-a tall one and a short one-stepped out.

" Passes!" The taller one yelled when they got closer. However, before the boys could pull their brand new papers out, the short one broke into a grin.

"Holy shit! It's Braun and Hoover! They're back! Welcome home, boys!"

The taller one squinted at their badges and their faces before a small smile formed on his lips." Well, well, well, you two have shot up like weeds. Especially you, Hoover. How the hell did you two get so big?"

Bertholdt smiled nervously and fiddled with his hair as Reiner laughed." I don't know how we got this big, sir, but Bertl was always destined to be the tallest."

"Damn right! You guys coming to see family?" the short one asked. Bertholdt nodded.

"Yes, sir, we are." The shorter man's grin became even bigger.

"You're in for a surprise, big guy. You're a-Mmmph!"

"Shut up, Meriadoc! Don't tell him," the taller one scolded as he clapped a hand over the short man's mouth." Let him find out when he gets home! It'll be better that way." Bertholdt blinked and smiled; these two were the same as always.

Meriadoc huffed and removed the hand." Fine. Peregrine, open the gate for the boys, will ya?"

"Of course. Enjoy your day, Warriors," said Peregrine, holding out his hand. Reiner looked at it hesitantly.

"Please, I would love to shake your hands; it's been five years,"he said reassuringly. Reiner blinked, then smiled and took the hand, shaking it firmly. Bertholdt shook it next, hoping his palms weren't too sweaty. Peregrine hummed approvingly." You boys are real strong. Keep up the good work."

A few minutes later, the boys walked through the barbed gate into the familiar town of Liberio. Bertholdt could see Reiner practically light up with happiness as they went by all the old shops. The giant himself was uncharacteristicly giddy,unconsciously quickening his pace and almost leaving Reiner in the dust.

Eventually, the boys entered the market square, stopping for a moment to let memories come and go. Before they had signed up for the Warrior Program, he and Reiner used to meet up here to play. It was the halfway point between their houses, so every day they would make the short trip that always resulted in races through the market.

"Well, Bertl, this is where we go our separate ways. See ya tomorrow, man." Reiner gave his friend a smile before turning his back. Bertholdt nodded and did the same.

"Yeah, see you tomorrow, Reiner." With that, Reiner's fist bumped his back, while Bertholdt's hit his shoulder. Then the giant walked forward, to his waiting parents.

As he headed home, everything around him began to fade as the thoughts in his head began take over.

Will Mother know who I am when she sees me?

Did Father recover from that illness? Is he even alive?

And what was Mr. Meriadoc talking about?

These thoughts went around and around his head until he found himself at his door. He blinked, slightly surprised that he'd gotten there so fast. He blamed it on his long legs.

Bertholdt stared at the door for a minute, his mouth suddenly dry. Beads of dry sweat popped up on his forehead as he lifted his fist to knock, listening intently to the sounds within. He heard a muted "I'll get it!", then the pitter patter of tiny little feet running towards the door. A second later, it opened a crack, and tiny little green eyes peeked through at him silently. Bertholdt blinked, confused to see a little girl at the door. Maybe she was a niece or a cousin?

"Hi, there," he said softly, bending down a little." Is this the Hoover's house?"

The little girl blinked at him, once, twice, before turning her head to look down the hallway.

"Mama! There's a giant at the door, and he wants to know if this is the Hoo Ber house!"

This time, Bertholdt heard heavier, slightly slower steps approaching the door." Mae, what have I told you about answering the door? You have to come get me!" a woman's voice scolded gently, coming closer. The giant's throat closed up; he knew that voice. It had been so long since he'd last heard it...

"My apologies, sir." Bertholdt's eyes refocused on the woman in front of him, bent over the little girl. She quietly told the girl to go back inside before straightening to face him." How can I help...."

Her eyes traveled up his tall form to find the red armband on his left arm, getting wider as she slowly lifted her head to look up into Bertholdt's emerald green orbs. Her hands covered her quivering mouth as he offered her a soft smile.

"Hello, Mother. I'm home," he said gently as her grey eyes filled with tears.

"B-Bertholdt?..." 

He nodded his head once as she took tiny steps toward him. Her hands left her mouth to clasp his long arms, tears overflowing and gliding down her cheeks.

"Bertholdt...look at you...you're so big...my baby has finally come home..." she whispered, reaching up to hug her son. The green eyed giant immediately reciprocated the hug, holding his mother tightly as a few tears slipped from his eyes. He felt something click inside him, and he knew that for the first time in a long time, he actually felt whole. It was like the burden of guilt he had carried for so many years had been lifted off of his shoulders.

His mother soon relinquished her grip on him, tugging him toward the door eagerly." You're father is going to be so happy to see you: he's missed you so much."

He quickly followed her, letting her pull him down the hall he knew so well. He used to put on his boots right there; his second favorite coat still hung on the peg where he left it five years ago. Pictures from his childhood lined the wall while boots of various sizes lined the floor. He was home at last.

"Henry! Henry! Henry!" she yelled, pulling him towards the living room.

"Janette? Is something wrong?" a rough voice called. Bertholdt's throat clenched cruelly. It was the one man he cherished more than anything; the man who taught him everything he knew about a gun, the person who had taught him how to hunt, and the reason he had joined the Warrior Program in the first place.

"Henry! He's home!" With that announcement, he and his mother entered the living room, where a dark haired man with green eyes sat on the couch in front of the little girl who answered the door. The moment the man layed eyes on his son, his eyes widened and he slowly stood.

"Bertholdt...son...you came back..." he whispered, fighting back tears as he stood up to embrace Bertholdt. Bertholdt gently wrapped his arms around his father, taking great care not to squeeze him.

"Of course I did, Father. I said I would do my best, remember?" he said gently before releasing his old man, who studied him carefully.

"Well, I'll be damned, son. I always knew you would be tall, but I didn't expect you be six foot three."

Bertholdt chuckled." It just happened. I don't know how."

"Who is he?"

All heads turned to look at Mae, who was tugging on Janette's skirt. She smiled bashfully at Bertholdt before hoisting the girl on to her hip.

"Mae, this is your big brother Bertholdt. Remember, we told you about him?" 

Mae blinked at her baffled older brother before her face lit up." This is big brother Ber Holt!?"

Henry leaned a little closer to his son and whispered," We found out that your mother was carrying a few days after you left. She was devastated that she didn't get to tell you beforehand."

Bertholdt nodded, speechless with delight. He walked toward his little sister and bent over a little so they were face to face.

"Hi, Mae..."

She bashfully bent her head." Hi...brother..."

He smiled at her." You know you're really pretty right?"

Mae bobbed her head before hiding her face in their mother's shoulder, eliciting a giggle from the brown haired woman." Mae can be a tad bit shy..."

Bertholdt chuckled and straightened himself." I guess it runs in the family."

Both his parents laughed at that, and the next few hours were spent telling Bertholdt about their life with Mae. At some point in time, Mae had recovered from her shy spell and proceeded to climb on her brother/plaything. Bertholdt let her, even letting her dangle from his arms as his parents regaled him with the stories of how Mae would follow them around and ask about the boy in the pictures, or how she would sit by the window and just wait for him to come home. This was when she developed the opening the door habit.

Over dinner, Bertholdt told them what little he could about the years he spent on Paradis. When he told them about the giant Titan forest, his sister popped up in her seat.

"There are trees bigger than a Titan!?"

Bertholdt had smiled at her." Yes. In fact, some of them were even taller than my Titan."

The reunited family talked late into the night, so happy to be together that they wanted to stay together as long as they could. Mae had fallen asleep shortly after dinner, curling up into Bertholdt's side. Bertholdth followed her an hour later, his light snores alerting their parents that he was no longer listening. 

He was alive. He was home. He was happy.

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Word Count: 2349

😭😭😭😭😭😭😭BERTHOLDT! MY BOY! COME BACK!😭😭😭😭😭😭😭

I wrote Bertholdt's homecoming first because he...he...he...I CAN'T SAY IT! This amazing boy was my favorite character, and therefore he deserved a happy ending. I gave him a little sister for extra cuteness. Enjoy, my readers. 

Edit: Kudos to anyone who knows the characters that I took the guards' names from 😊


	13. I'm Coming Home: Reiner

The minute Reiner finished saying goodbye to Bertholdt, he immediately rushed to his house, carelessly knocking into a few people to whom he profusely apologized as he went. He just couldn't wait to go home.

It only took him a few minutes to reach the front door of his house. When he got there, he quickly calmed himself down. Reiner wanted to surprise his mom, but he could only do that if he was quiet. He quickly thought back to the times when he lived here. It was half after noon, so his mother was probably washing up from lunch.

He quietly opened the door and shut it behind him, being careful not to make any noise. The smell of his home hit him like a rock. Sure enough, his mom was doing the dishes; he could hear the splash of water coming from the kitchen. Smiling, he slipped out of his boots and headed towards the kitchen.

She didn't hear a thing as Reiner carefully tiptoed across the floor. When he reached his mom, he gently wrapped his arms around her. She squeaked breathlessly, obviously frightened.

"What are you-!?"

"Hi mom," he whispered, hugging her a little tighter. She froze, then slowly turned her head to see slightly wet golden eyes. Her own green ones went wide.

"Reiner?..." she whispered, turning around fully to gaze up at her son. He was so big, so tall... Her eyes immediately filled with tears that spilled down her cheeks.

"Reiner! You're home! My little boy is home at last!" Karina gripped his shirt with her hands as she started to sob.

"M-Mom! Don't cry! Please, don't cry!" Reiner said gently, leading her over to the nearby dinner table.

"Reiner! I was so worried about you! You left, and didn't come back for five years! I thought my little boy had died!" His mom continued to wail as he knelt down in front of her.

"Mom, I'm okay! Look at me, I'm right here, safe and sound," said Reiner with a smile, trying desperately to comfort his mother. She pulled him into another hug.

"Oh, Reiner. It's so good to see you again...."

"Same here." When they pulled back from the hug Reiner looked towards the living room. 

"Where's everyone else?"

"Oh, Marissa and Gabriel took Gabi to the market to get ingredients for dinner," said Karina, sniffing and wiping at her tears with her fingers." They should be back so-"

"Auntie Karina! We're back! And we brought back dinner!" a little girl's voice yelled. Moments later, fast booted feet could be heard racing toward the kitchen." Mom and Dad got stuff for stew..." 

The little brown haired girl trailed off when she saw Karina's tear stained face and the burly blonde in kneeling front of her. She gently put the bag she was carrying on the floor.

"Auntie Karina?... Are you okay? Did the big blonde oaf hurt you?" She turned her ferocious green gaze to Reiner." If you hurt her, you'll pay for it!"

"Gabi! Be nice! Don't you know who he is?" Marissa, a woman with long brown hair, had a hand pressed to her mouth, trying hard to supress giggles. Gabi indignantly turned to her mother and pouted.

"No, I don't. Why should I know someone who makes people cry?" Gabi sassed. By this time, Gabriel had joined them, and everyone was trying their best not to laugh.

"Gabi, you should probably take a look at the band on his arm," her father whispered, pointing at the red armband. Gabi followed her father's finger with her eyes before widening them, staring at the blonde "oaf".

"REINER! YOU'RE BACK!" The next thing Reiner knew, he was being tackled to the ground by his side 9 year old cousin. He fell over on his ass while Gabi strangled him in a hug.

"Whoa! Okay, Gabi, you're a little big to jump on me now!" Reiner chuckled, hoisting the nine year old over his head. She immediately giggled and started wriggling, trying to break free of his grip. So started their little wrestle, Gabi trying to climb on Reiner while he fake tried to gently push her off of him.

Gabi had been just a tiny little four year old when he had left all those years ago. He still remembered how she had cried and grabbed onto his leg when he had told his family that he would be leaving for a mission. For the next two weeks, she had doggedly followed him around, crying and begging him not to leave. She would even crawl out of her own bed to come sleep with him. On the day that he left, she had been so upset that she had cried herself to sleep before he even departed.

"Alright, you two, that's enough rough housing in the kitchen. I need to start on our dinner," said Karina. Reiner quickly subdued Gabi by picking her up and setting her on his shoulders. She let out a happy squeak and wrapped her hands around his eyes.

"Sorry, Mom," he said cheekily, carrying the little girl into the next room as best as he could manage with no eyesight. Gabi giggled whenever he bumped into a wall, and thanks to him taking off his boots, Reiner managed to stub a toe. The following curses set his cousin shrieking with laughter.

"Reiner! Language!" 

"Sorry, Mom!" Reiner grimaced, taking Gabi's hands off of his eyes. With his newly restored vision, he quickly navigated himself to his old room. It was practically untouched by the years; his bed was still perfectly made, his chest of clothes had collected no dust, and his old leather satchel hung on the end of the bed. He carefully set Gabi down as he took it all in.

"Wow...nothing in here has changed..."

Gabi, who had calmed down a little, nodded." Auntie Karina would come in here every few weeks to clean and make sure everything was in place."

"Really?"

Gabi nodded." Yeah, she really missed you. Sometimes, late at night, I think she would come in here and cry. You guys were gone a lot longer than everyone expected you to be."

Reiner sat down on his now tiny bed, pulling up his legs." Yeah... Things didn't really go as planned, that's why..."

Gabi hopped up and sat next to him before looking up at him with the eyes he knew all to well.

"Reiner... Will you tell me about your time on the island?"

The blonde chuckled and looked down at his feet as he mussed Gabi's thick brown hair." Sorry, no can do. Everything on the island is classified."

Gabi stuck out,her lips in a pout." You can tell me, you know. I'm going to be Warrior Candidate soon."

Reiner blinked as the words sunk in." Wait, what?!"

Gabi smiled at him." I'm signing up for the Warrior Program!"

"Really? Why?" Reiner was trying very hard to not show his concern. 

"Because! I want to be like you!" The blonde felt something inside him crack, and knew that Gabi could not become a Warrior, under any circumstances. She did not need to become anything like the broken man that he was.

Reiner stared at her for a minute before sighing." You know, you don't have to become a Titan to be like me."

Gabi pouted again before Reiner forced a chuckle and stood up." Come on, let's go see if we can help my Mom with dinner."

Gabi thought about for a moment before shrugging her shoulders." Okay."

........................................................................................................................

"Reiner! I can't tell you enough about how thrilled I am that you know how to cook!"

Reiner looked up from his empty bowl and smiled at his mom." Well... I picked up a couple talents on the island. Everyone cooks their own food there."

"What kind of food do they eat!? Do they eat guts and hearts?!" Gabi asked, looking at him with wide eyes.

"Of course not! The peo-Devils...on the island... They were...well...they ate a lot of bread and potatoes." Reiner stared intently at his spoon. He was finding it really hard to not talk about his friends on Paradis. He knew he would put his family in danger if he dared to open his mouth, not to mention endangering Bertholdt and Annie's families, too. Hell, he'd be putting Krista in danger, and that was more than enough to keep his mouth shut. He would do anything and everything to keep her safe, as he promised both Ymir and himself.

"...Bread and potatoes?..." Gabi asked, looking confused. Reiner shook his head.

"Island information is classified, Gabi. That is about all I can tell you."

Gabi pouted and crossed her arms. Her mother placed a loving hand on her arm." Now, now Gabi, be agreeable about this. It is probably a hard topic for him to talk about as well. He did spend five years there with those awful demons. He could be hurt inside."

Gabi's eyes blew wide open as she looked at Reiner again." I'm sorry, Reiner..."

He gave her a comforting smile." Don't worry about it. I'm fine."

Gabi was about to say something, but Karina spoke first." It's incredible how much you've grown, Reiner," she said softly.

Reiner's stomach twisted into a knot. Oh no...here it comes...

"You're so strong and big now... I almost didn't recognize you. My son has gone from a boy to a man, and has helped all of us Eldians get a better future. Your father would be so proud of you, Reiner."

Reiner shut his eyes and forced a smile through the painful tug in his chest. He couldn't let his mom see the pain she had caused." Thanks, Mom..."

"You look just like him, you know. Same eyes, same build, same everything. The only difference between you two is your blonde hair. You got that from me."

Reiner nodded mutely before standing up and gathering his dishes." It's getting late... I should go to bed soon. I have to get back to H.Q. early tomorrow."

Everyone over the age of twenty nodded their heads as they stood and collected their own dishes.

"Marissa, you put Gabi to bed. I'll help Karina with the kitchen," said Gabriel, taking his wife's bowl. Reiner put his own in the sink and hastily left the kitchen to get to his own room. 

Gabriel had lent Reiner a pair of his nightclothes since there was no way he could fit in his old ones. He quickly changed into them and flopped down on his too small bed, listening mindlessly to the sounds of his house. As great as it was to see his family again, he just couldn't forgive himself for what he'd done. Slaughtering thousands of innocent people just so he could hope for a whole family? Taking the Armored from someone who was better for it just because he wanted to prove he was worthy of something he knew he couldn't have? It just...wasn't right. It wasn't fair.

"Reiner...what's that weird face for?"

He quickly lifted his head to see Gabi standing in the doorway, her hair all over and sleepily rubbing her eye.

"Oh, hey. I didn't see you there, Gabi. What are you doing this late?"

The sleepy girl yawned as she started padding across the floor." I can't sleep, and it looks like you can't either."

Reiner quirked an eyebrow at his cousin as she climbed on the bed." Aren't you a bit too old to sleep with me?"

"No." She plopped herself next to him and curled up, using his shoulder as a pillow. She was out in seconds, easing into sleep so fast Reiner couldn't help but smile. He carefully wrapped one arm around her and covered her with a blanket with the other.

"Good night, Gabi," he whispered. Turns out sleepiness was contagious, because a few minutes later, the blonde Warrior slipped into sleep.


	14. Brother Bonding

Eren lay on his bed, staring up at the ceiling in boredom. Reiner and Bertholdt had left about three hours ago to go see their families, leaving him basically alone in this new place. In that amount of time, he had tried to talk to Ymir and Krista, the only other people he knew, but the freckled girl had pretty much just hissed at him and shut the door in his face. He had also attempted to converse with Pieck and the redheaded asshole that had broken Reiner's nose, but the redhead was...well, an asshole.

A knock sounded on the door, causing Eren to groan." Fair warning, I'm not in the greatest mood right now."

The door opened to reveal a familiar pair of green eyes." Hello, Eren."

Eren propped himself up on his elbows so he could look at his half brother better." Did you come here for a reason?"

"I did."

"...Was it to show off your new haircut?"

Zeke chuckled." No. I thought that with Reiner and Bertholdt gone, you might be a little bored."

Eren flopped back on the bed." More than a little."

"Good; then will you join me for the afternoon?"

Eren blinked and sat up all the way."... What exactly will we be doing?"

Zeke scratched at his ear mindlessly." Oh, a little catch, maybe some coffee, or some drinks if you prefer that."

"What's catch?"

The blonde man stared at him in disbelief." You don't know what catch is?"Eren shook his head.

"Then you have to come with me and play. Life isn't the same without catch."

Eren stared at him for a minute before shrugging." It beats doing nothing," he said as he stood up. Zeke gave him a smile as the boy pulled on the red armband.

"Alright, follow me; we have to get mitts first," he said, turning around and leading his brother out into the hall.

"What are mitts?" Eren asked, catching up and walking side by side with Zeke.

"Mitts are like big, leather gloves that you wear on one hand that you catch a baseball with."

"What's a baseball?..."

Zeke smiled again as he began to explain." A baseball is a certain type of ball used in a game called baseball. In the game, you have a two teams that take turns playing certain roles; someone is a batter, someone is the pitcher, and the others are catchers and outfielders..."

As he explained the game to Eren, Zeke went to his own room and grabbed two worn leather mitts before leading Eren outside to the training field. By the time they got there, the blonde man had finished explaining the game and was giving Eren tips on how to catch, aim, and throw like a pro.

"You ready?" Zeke asked eagerly, handing Eren a mitt. The boy took it and shrugged.

"I think I got the basics. Which hand do I put this on?"

"The one you write with." Zeke began backing away, creating some distance between them while he produced an old, dingy white ball the size of a fist." Ready?"

Eren nodded, shuffling his feet into a comfortable position. Zeke also shifted a little, pivoting and bringing one leg off the ground. A split second later, Zeke brought his arm back and launched the ball at Eren,who instinctively sidestepped as the ball flew past him, missing him only by a few inches. 

"What the hell?!"

"I was testing you. It seems that when something comes at you at a high speed, you avoid it. Interesting..." Zeke mused. Eren picked up the ball and threw it at his brother.

"Well, on ODM gear, you have to, or else you either get smashed, shot, eaten, or all three."

"ODM gear?" Zeke asked curiously, winding up for another pitch. Eren glowered at him.

"Another throw like that last one and I'm going back inside."

Zeke threw the ball, letting it gracefully fly through the air before Eren caught it.

"ODM gear was what Reiner and Bertholdt were wearing when we arrived that day," Eren explained as he threw the ball back. Zeke was happy to note that his brother had a good arm.

"Oh, really? How does it work?" He threw the ball.

Eren caught it." Belts for weight distribution and balance, gas and cables for moving, and blades for killing." He threw it back to Zeke, who caught it with ease.

"Hmm... I'm guessing it was a weapon for killing Titans?"

The ball was thrown, and caught.

"Yeah. All soldiers had to learn to use it, but the only regiment that needs it are the Scouts."

The ball continued to fly between them as their conversation went on.

"Scouts?"

"The people who go outside the Walls to fight for humanity. Like me."

"What are the other regiments?"

"The Garrison and the Military Police. The Garrison isn't bad, but the M.P.s are just... I don't know, below standards for human intelligence and moral."

Zeke chuckled as he caught the ball." I see..."

Eren sighed, watching as the ball came back his way." Yeah...I wanted to join the Scouts ever since I was little, before Reiner and Bertholdt broke down the Wall..."

Zeke watched as Eren's face molded into pain and anger. When he caught the ball, he lowered his hand.

"...When they broke down Maria-"

"The place they smashed open was my hometown," Eren said, gritting his teeth and curling his free hand into a fist." When Bertholdt kicked in the Wall, a chunk of it fell on my house... It crushed it on top of my Mom. She was trapped under a heavy beam... I couldn't lift it...even if I could, her legs were crushed. She wouldn't have been able to run away..." Eren's voice cracked, and he looked up to the sky.

Zeke watched him for a moment before stuffing the ball in his pocket and taking the mitt off his hand. He put it under his arm as he closed the distance between him and Eren. When he reached him, Zeke put a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"When I found out who they were... I wanted to kill them. Reiner, Bertholdt, and Annie... I thought they took everything from me, and it hurt. Reiner and Bertholdt especially. They were like the big brothers of the Cadet Corps; hell, I looked up to Reiner as a big brother! And now... I still don't know everything, but I know every person here, that's like us... They've had shit lives...so now... I don't want to kill them... I just...want to know how I can fix our lives so no one like us has to suffer like this..."

Eren felt lighter as he poured out his heart to Zeke; he had been carrying that heavy load ever since he'd set foot on the boat. Zeke nodded, understanding what Eren meant.

"I know how you feel, Eren... You want to free Eldians from suffering. So did I; that's why I became the Beast Titan."

Eren shifted his gaze to the ground, staring at the dirt below his shoes. Zeke let him stew in a moment of silence.

"I'm also guessing that you miss your old friends? The ones back on the island."

Eren lifted his head and smiled a little." Yeah, I do miss them. They were a great bunch." Eren looked happy for a moment before confusion furrowed his brow.

"When I brought it up to Bertholdt and Reiner earlier, they started acting weird... Reiner was about to talk about them, but Bertholdt made him stop... It doesn't make sense."

Zeke shook Eren by the shoulder a little.

"Don't stress over it. It's just that they would get in trouble for talking positively about the people on the island, not because they don't want to talk about it."

"Oh..." A loud rumble cut through the air, causing Zeke to crack a smile.

"Well... I say that we stop practice and go get something to eat," said Zeke, watching Eren pull off his mitt.

"Yeah... I am pretty hungry..."

"Do want to eat in Liberio?"

Eren blinked." Liberio?"

"Yes, Liberio. It is the hometown of us Eldians. Want to see it?"

Eren looked thoughtfully at his feet before shrugging." Sure, why not?"

......................................................................................................

Eren couldn't believe it. It just had to be too good to be true. There was no way that there could be something this incredibly amazing.

"I take it you've never had ice cream before, have you?" Zeke was watching him with an amused expression on his face. Eren barely looked up from his bowl of heaven.

"...No...how...how is this...so good?!"

Zeke leaned back in his chair with a light grin on his lips.

"Ok, you like clam chowder, garlic bread, strawberry cupcakes, and vanilla ice cream. Noted."

Eren went back to inhaling the treat in front of him, ignoring everything around him. The soft, cold, creamy sweetness in his mouth had taken over him completely. When he finished, he just about burst into tears. He would've given his Titan powers to have more.

"Alright, Eren, I've taken you to lunch, given you a tour of our little town, and got you ice cream. It's time to head back to H.Q." Zeke stood up, pushing his chair back. Eren glanced longingly at the empty bowl in fron of him before reluctantly standing up.

"Okay..."

As they exited what Zeke called a "creamery", Eren reflected on the past few hours he'd spent with his brother. Zeke had lead them to a wall topped with barbed wire coils on top, where they met two guys with weird names-Meriadoc and Peregrine. They seemed pretty well aquatinted with one another, and several minutes passed as they exchanged small talk about the "surprise the big boy gets when he arrives home" before Zeke showed them a tiny book with his picture in it. Then the two of them walked through the wall into Liberio, where Eren gawked in shock. 

If the buildings in Marley were average homes, then the buildings in Liberio were the lowest of the low. Everywhere Eren looked, he saw grey brick. Homes, shops, wells, roads, fountains- everything was the same drab grey. Zeke must've picked up on his growing confusion because he then explained that Liberio was often referred to as the ghetto, where everything was below standards in almost every conceivable way. Except for the food.

Zeke had taken Eren to a small corner "cafe" for lunch, where he had ordered the establishment's specialty, which was clam chowder that came with fresh, buttery garlic bread. When he had received his, Eren had sniffed it before taking a cautious bite. Then his eyes went wide as the flavors danced across his tongue. Needless to say, Eren had finished a long time before Zeke did.

After their little lunch stop, Zeke had taken it upon himself to give his little brother a thorough tour of Liberio. He had taken Eren to the market square to show him all the stalls and vendors with their unique goods first, introducing Eren to various shopkeepers. One cheeky woman(a baker, where Eren had quickly devoured a strawberry cupcake)had giggled as Zeke aquatinted them.

"My, you look a little bit like a girl who lives nearby. Her name is Gabi, and boy, you both have a ferocious look in your eyes. Seems right for her to be, seeing how her cousin had the honor of being the Armored Titan."

After they had left that stall, Zeke had declared that they had to go soon, but that they could do one more thing. That's when he had dragged Eren into the creamery, and where Eren had fallen in love with the flavor of vanilla. As far as Eren was concerned, it had been a great day. And as for his brother...

"You know what? You're not as bad as I thought you would be," Eren said, slipping his hands in his pockets and turning his face up to the setting sun. Zeke quirked a brow at him and slipped his own hands in his pockets.

"Oh, really? How bad did you think I was?"

Eren shrugged." It doesn't matter anymore. Let's just say I'm going to like having you as my brother."

Zeke smiled." Is that so? Well, then, looks like you finally warmed up to me."

A comfortable, easygoing silence fell between the two brothers as they continued to headquarters, both feeling a little closer to the other.


	15. Chapter 15

Ymir stared up at the ceiling fan, watching while the blades slowly went in a circle before coming to a stop. The freckled girl stood up and spun the star on her ceiling again, laying back down to watch it slow down again. She hadn't slept all night. 

Now that she was back home, all the familiar things she was seeing was triggering an aggressive memory attack from Marcel. Every time she closed her eyes, she would see some random things like when he was training with the others(she was happy to note that a certain blonde really sucked), but what reoccurred more often than anything else was the day Marcel died. Over and over, like it was on loop, she would see her Titan leap up out of the ground, reach for Reiner, grab Marcel, and eat him. When she couldn't sleep, Ymir would turn her attention to the ceiling fan. Watching it wind down was oddly comforting for some reason...

A tiny knock sounded on the door before it creaked open. Ymir smiled a little as a tiny blonde head peeped at her from behind the wood." Ymir?... Are you awake?"

The freckled girl propped herself up on her elbows." Yep."

Krista returned the smile on Ymir's face as she slipped in through the door, shutting it behind her." Good. Want to go get some lunch?"

Ymir quirked an eyebrow." Lunch?..."

Krista nodded." It's around one o'clock."

Ymir sat all the way up with a yawn." Oh... Big Blonde and Sweaty Turtle down there?"

Krista shook her head." No, Reiner and Bertholdt left a little while ago to go home."

"Mmmm..." Ymir stretched her arms over her head and craned her neck to let out an audible crack! before returning her attention to Krista.

"What about the weird gal and the snub nosed assho-"

"Ymir, knock it off with the mean names!"

The freckled girl huffed in amusement." Why? My names suit them perfectly. The Porkchop guy has a weird nose and is a complete asshole, the chick with the black hair is really weird, Berty is sweaty and...the turtle just fits him, and Reiner is a huge blonde," she said nonchalantly before giving Krista a mischievous smile." Maybe I should call you the Tiny Blonde... oof!"

"Not appreciated, Ymir. I already have one name more than I should, and I don't need to be reminded of how ridiculously short I am," Krista huffed, rubbing her head as she stepped away from Ymir. One advantage of being her size was the ability to head butt just about anyone in the stomach. However, her hit didn't have much of an effect on her freckled friend.

"Alright, sorry!" Ymir smiled and held her hands up in surrender, not sounding sorry at all." Now, back to my earlier question..."

Krista sighed and brought her hands up to her hair, tying it back loosely as she answered.

"Yeah, they're still down there. It's actually kind of cute; they've been down there a while." The blonde smiled at the end of her sentence while Ymir stared at her blankly.

"Wow, you really are a hopeless romantic."

"Ymir!"

The freckled girl rested a hand on her hip and smiled at the blonde before her.

"I'm not really that hungry right now. Let's find something to do that's not boring."

Krista shrugged." Okay; chess?"

Ymir stuck out her tongue." Hell no; that is really boring."

"...Reading?"

"That's even worse."

"Sewing, cleaning, and talking?"

Ymir shook her head." We're already doing that, no, and no way in hell."

Krista sighed." Then what do you want to do?"

Ymir tilted her head, thinking. What did she want to do? The two girls stood in silence before a fuzzy idea popped up in Ymir's head. A huge grin grew on her face as a mischievous glint entered her eyes.

"I know exactly what we should do, Historia," said the freckled girl conspiratorially. Krista watched her warily.

"What do you have in mind, Ymir?..."

The brunette raised her eyebrows." Let's go exploring."

The blonde blinked." ...Exploring?..."

Ymir sniggered." You know, sneaking around this huge, almost empty place, snooping through people's rooms, messing with the important shit..."

Krista worried her lip between her teeth." Won't we get in trouble?"

Ymir strode forward and grabbed her hand, pulling her out of the door. Krista squeaked at the sudden move, and Ymir chuckled." Not if we don't get caught."

....................................................................................................

Half an hour, a meeting room that Ymir rearranged, a balcony, and a lot of doors later, the duo found themselves...lost in H.Q. 

"Ymir, where are we?" Krista looked at the portrait covered walls. There was a lot of men and women watching them from the stone.

"Hell if I know. Best I can say is the Hall of Creepy Staring People," Ymir said casually, also observing the pictures. They seemed...familiar somehow. Not the people, but the pictures themselves. As a matter of fact, the whole hall looked familiar. Must be Marcel...

A sharp tug in her vision proved her right, setting her honey eyes on a door with simple, yet detailed carvings.

"Let's check this out."

Ymir reached out and turned the knob, pushing it open to reveal some sort of sitting room. Opposite the door was a huge fireplace surrounded by comfy looking chairs and a table. On the left and right sides of the Walls were two more doors.

"This looks really comfy," said Krista, trailing her fingers over one of the chairs. Ymir shrugged and walked over to the door on the right.

"You check it out in there. I'm looking in here."

When the freckled girl walked through the door, she immediately saw three more doors, all in a row. 

"Hmm... This is interesting..." she mumbled to herself, approaching the door to the far right. In the room behind it was a very comfortable looking bed surrounded by bookshelves of books and the occasional potted plant. The window above the bed also had some small, pretty flowers. In the corner next to a closet stood a wooden crutch with red wrapping. Ymir gave it two blinks and shut the door.

The door in the middle was completely empty, no bed or chair to speak of. When Ymir opened the door to the last door, the one on the far left, she stared in shock. So these are the Warriors quarters...

The room had a tiny, tiny bed, a small bedside table, and multiple punching dummies. On the bedside table was nothing but a small picture with a little girl and stoic man on opposite sides of a kicking target. Ymir didn't need to look closer to know whose room this was. This was, without a doubt, none other than Annie Leonhart's room. 

Ymir suddenly felt a tiny wave of...guilt? Sympathy? Whatever it was, she felt it, and somberly left the room, walking back into the parlor where Krista was browsing through the bookshelf next to the fireplace. At the sound of her footsteps, the blonde turned to face Ymir.

"Find anything?"

"Yep. You wanna know where we are?"

Krista tilted her head a little." Yeah..."

"The Warriors quarters."

Blue eyes blew wide as the blonde carefully stepped back from the bookshelf." If this is their room, we should go, Ymir. This is an invasion of privacy-" 

"Like I care," drawled the freckled girl, dragging Krista through the door on the left." Life is short, and a lot more fun when you break a couple rules." Ymir ignored the sudden twinge in her gut. She knew all too well that her days were numbered.

"Ymir...." Krista whined as Ymir pulled her through the door. Just like the door on the opposite side, there were three more doors. Ymir dragged her to the middle one first.

"Nothing in this one," said the freckled girl, towing Krista to the one one the far right. 

In this room, there were two child sized beds against opposite sides of the room. At the foot of the bed on the right was a long, slim gun, and the bed on the left had a huge, curled up, man sized dip in it. On the bedside tables were the familiar ODM gas dispensers.

Ymir stared at the beds for a minute before releasing Krista and covering her mouth, trying to stifle a laugh. Krista watched incredulously as the freckled girl's giggles became full blown laughter.

"What is so funny?"

Ymir, who had bent double and was clutching her sides, released herself and started to wave her hand at the beds.

"This....hahaha....this is Reiner and...hehehe...Bertholdt's room...hehehe... You know how big those two are?...Hahahaha....now look at those itty, bitty little beds! Gahahahaha! Look at 'em! How the hell do they sleep at night?! Hehehehe! Look! That has to be blondie's bed; the only way....hahaha....he'd be able to fit would...hehehehehe....be if he curled up into a teeny, tiny, little...hahaha!...big man ball! And he's so big, he broke the bed! GAHAHAHAHAHA!"

Ymir fell to her knees in uncontrollable laughter, rolling onto her back as tears squeezed out of her eyes. Krista watched her with a blank stare and huffed before prodding her freckled friend lightly with her foot.

"Come on, Ymir, let's go explore somewhere else..."

It was a few minutes before Ymir calmed herself enough to stand, exiting the boy's room and leading Krista into the the last room. 

The moment she set foot in that room, Ymir felt a chill run down her spine. This room was familiar; so familiar, that she knew it like the back of her hand. Up against the wall was a bunk bed, the top bunk neatly made and the bottom a complete mess. On the top post hung an old,worn leather jacket.

Ymir shivered as one memory after another flitted through her head. A late night talk. A game of cards. Consoling a hurt brother. A quick roughhousing session. A solemn embrace. They flitted through her head so fast, she felt dizzy...

"Ymir! Ymir! Can you hear me?! Ymir!"

The freckled girl blinked rapidly, trying to see who the voice belonged to. When her vision cleared, she saw Krista on her knees in front of her, shaking her by the shoulders. When she saw that her friend had recovered from her spell, the blonde stopped shaking her.

"Ymir! What happened!? Are you okay?!"

Ymir blinked again and rubbed her temple with one hand." Yeah, I'm fine. I just had a couple flashbacks from the guy who had the power before me..."

"His name was Marcel."

Both girls' head whipped around to see Porco standing in the doorway of his room, glowering at them. Krista visibly wilted a little.

"I'm guessing it was you two who messed with the meeting room. Am I right?"

Ymir smirked at him." Technically, that was my handiwork. This place is so big and boring, I decided to explore and mess a few rooms up. Got a problem with that, sir?"

Porco's eyes widened slightly before he huffed." Just go explore somewhere else, freckles. Get out of my room."

Ymir stood up and stretched nonchalantly." You heard the man, Tiny. Let's go."

Krista huffed and slapped Ymir's arm." Don't call me that," she said, passing Ymir into the hall. The freckled girl was about to follow her when she stopped. 

"Hey... I just want you to know that I'm sorry. For taking your brother away from you."

There was a beat of silence before he took a deep breath.

"It wasn't your fault for what happened. Pure Titans can't help it."

Another beat of silence.

"When do you think you'll...eat me?"

"Maybe in the next two weeks. Usually they would have had me eat you sooner, but it's being delayed for some reason."

Ymir took a deep breath, both scared and relived. She was still going to die, but she had more time with Krista.

"I see. Sorry again for bothering you."

She was about to walk out the door when Porco spoke again." The exploring idea wasn't yours."

She turned her head to see him smiling sadly." Huh?"

"It was Marcel's. He liked to walk around this place and mess around with the stuff in some of the rooms. It really pissed Magath off."

Ymir looked down at her feet." From what I could tell from the memories, he was a pretty cool guy."

"He was."

"Ymir? You okay?" Krista popped her head around the door to the parlor. Ymir looked back at her before nodding at Porco. He nodded back at her before entering his room.

"Yeah, I'm fine sweetie. You know what, let's go see of we can wonder over to the mess hall from here. I'm starving."

Ymir looped her arm around Krista's shoulders as the blonde shook her head." I'm not sure if they have food down there anymore..."

"Then we can steal some from wherever they make the food."

Krista huffed." Ymir..."

Ymir sniggered." What? It's fun."

"You really are a...a...a..."

"A freckled girl who will be troublesome forever? Yes, you are correct."

Krista nudged Ymir with her elbow." I guess that means I'll have to be your friend forever so you don't do something too bad."

Ymir tensed a little bit as she forced a laugh." Yep. You and I will be friends... Forever."


	16. Of Hurt and Hugs

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! Quick heads up for you guys! I accidentally published this as chapter 15 instead of 16, so you might wanna head back to the real chapter 15!

Something was touching his nose. No, something was poking his nose. The thing poking his nose was gentle and warm. What was it?

Porco groggily opened his blue eyes and peered up through a curtain of black hair encircling the smiling face of a girl he knew all too well, letting out a groan.

"Pieck, leave my nose alone," he grumbled, swatting at her finger before rolling over and hiding his face in his pillow. Pieck let out a light, twinkling giggle and proceeded to poke the blondish haired man in the back.

"Time to get up, Pock."

"Don't call me that!" 

"Breakfast is ready."

"Don't care. Go away."

"...They have blueberry pancakes."

"Mmmph....."

"....And bacon."

Porco turned his head ever so slightly to peer up at Pieck with one eye.

"...Really?"

Pieck smiled in answer, and he let out a groan.

"Fine..." Porco reluctantly sat up and yawned." What's today's schedule?"

His black haired friend moved out of the way so he could crawl out of his bed." Well... Nothing. Thanks to Reiner and Bertholdt coming home, we get to take a nice break from training. The only thing we have to do is a little studying and paperwork."

Porco scowled at the mention of Reiner as he crossed the room to get to his closet." I'm not thanking that thick headed muscle bag for anything."

Pieck shrugged as Porco rummaged through his clothes, selecting his clothes for the day. When he'd found a suitable top, he started to pull his night shirt off but stopped. He looked over his shoulder at Pieck, who had crawled into his bed and was watching him a sly, but lazy, smile.

"Something wrong, Pock?"

Porco sighed, slightly annoyed. He was definitely not a morning person.

"Other than you not calling me my name, yes; I need you to give me some privacy to change."

The black haired girl smiled teasingly." Why?"

"Because!"

"Because why?"

"Because... It's just creepy!" Porco spluttered, turning around to face her with his shirt in hand. Pieck continued to smile at him. She was thoroughly enjoying this.

"How is it creepy?"

"Pieck, you are the smartest person I know. I'm pretty sure you can figure it out yourself."

"Thank you for the compliment, but I've never read anything about watching someone they know very well getting dressed, so therefore I wouldn't know..."

Porco huffed and picked up his clothes, heading toward his tiny bathroom.

"Everyone deserves a little privacy! Don't get any ideas, Pikku!" With that, Porco slammed the door. Pieck heard the lock turn and giggled before grabbing the leather jacket and making herself comfortable in his bed.

A few minutes later, Porco walked out of his bathroom, fully dressed and as fresh as could be for waking up early. He walked past the bed to put his clothes back and lifted his hand as if to grab something off of the post. When his hand met thin air, the bronze haired man looked down and frowned.

"Pieck...."

She smiled sweetly at him." Pock..."

"Give me back my jacket."

"It's warm. And it smells like myrrh and cookies."

".... Hand it over. Now."

Pieck turned her head and gave him the one thing he hated most; the look. She blinked her lazy grey eyes and her mouth scrunched up into a cute little pout. It was the look of a kicked puppy, or Pieck when she wants something. The thing was, it made her twice as cute as normal, and it really wasn't good for Porco's poor cheeks.

"P-Pieck...stop. Don't even start that shit...please. No. No...no...no...no!..."

She continued to pierce him with her pretty grey eyes until the owner of the jacket turned around and clapped a hand over his overheating face.

"Alright! Alright! Just wear the damn thing and stop with the fucking eyes! Please! It's too early for this shit! I need my coffee and bacon!"

Pieck smiled triumphantly as she glided out of the messy bed and wrapped her arms around Porco." Thank you... I'll give it back after breakfast..."

Porco sighed and looked down at the lazy eyed girl over his shoulder." Why are we friends again?"

Pieck leaned her forehead against his back." Because I'm the only one younger than you here."

"Besides that?"

"Because I stayed home."

"Besides that?"

"Because I'm nice."

"Other than that?"

"Because I am a pretty girl and I know you like the back of my hand."

"... Let's go. I'm starving."

"Okay, Pock."

"Quit calling me that!"

.....................................................................................................

"Well, isn't this a surprise! It's not that often that I see you out of bed at this hour, Porco."

Zeke took a sip of his coffee, watching as the bronze haired man ate through a stack of pancakes. Next to him sat Pieck, casually leaning her back against her companion as she nibbled on a biscuit. Porco lifted his eyes to the blonde bearded man standing nest to them.

"You can blame that on Pieck. I would rather be in bed right now, and I'm going to be cranky as shit about it until the coffee kicks in," he grouched. Zeke smiled knowingly as Porco turned back to his meal and took a sip of his coffee.

"Pieck got you out of bed? As far as I know, she's the only one who can do that. Are you two together yet?"

Porco's blue eyes went wide as the coffee he had been sipping on went flying from his mouth, triggering a coughing fit. Zeke pressed his lips together in a tight line to keep himself from laughing at Porco's flustered red face.

"WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH YOU, ZEKE!? GO AWAY LET ME EAT MY DAMN BREAKFAST IN PEACE, YOU SHITHEAD!" 

Zeke quickly scurried away, his chuckles breaking free a few steps away from the fuming Porco. Next to him, Pieck had repositioned herself so that she was leaning over the table, face hidden in her arms, quietly laughing. Porco, still red, attacked the bacon on the side of his plate with a vengeance. Silence descended between them until the doors opened to reveal none other than Magath.

Porco quickly stood up as their superior advanced toward their table." Good Morning, Galliard, Pieck."

Pieck, still seated, offered Magath one of her lazy smiles." Good Morning."

Porco offered him a respectful nod as their superior stopped at their table.

"It's strange seeing you out of bed on a rest day, Galliard. Glad you got up early today."

Porco sheepishly rubbed the back of his head and mumbled something unintelligible.

"Pieck, would you give us a moment, please?" the Commander asked, a hint of sadness creeping into his stoic grey eyes. Pieck stood up with a nod and walked out of the cafeteria while a familiar heavy weight started growing in Porco's gut. Magath let out a heavy sigh.

"Galliard... My deepest condolences for your brother. He was...a good boy."

Porco sank heavily onto the chair with a sigh. He knew this talk would come eventually.

"Yeah... I know..."

Magath sat opposite him and ran a hand over his almost bald head." Since you are the last person in line for a Titan, you'll be the one to inherit the Jaw."

"Yes, sir."

"Normally, we would have performed the inheritance as soon as the girl arrived, but the T.R.A. wanted to try a different way of inheritance. The girl who inherited your brother's Jaw is a perfect test subject."

Porco raised a brow skeptically." How would they do it any other way? Last I checked, you inherit the power by eating someone."

Magath shook his head." I don't know. They haven't told me any details about it."

Porco nodded slowly before cocking another eyebrow." I'm guessing it's Zeke's Alchuwitz lady that's behind this idea?"

Magath cracked a wry smile." You bet your money that Sienna's got something to do with it. She possesses one of the greatest minds I've ever seen..."

There was a moment of silence between the two of them before the heavy air fell again.

"Back to business. Today I have given all Warriors the day to go home and visit family. Braun and Hoover will leave as Bertholdt gets up and eats, which probably will be later today. He's pretty tired..."

Porco stuck his hands in his pockets as his superior continued.

"No one in Liberio is aware that the boys are back, and that means your parents don't know about Marcel. If you.... If you think you can handle it... You should go home and give your folks the news..."

Porco bowed his head. Hearing that his brother was never coming home hurt like hell, but telling his parents... It would bring a whole new level of pain. It was not something Porco wanted to do, but it was the right thing to do. They deserved to be told in person.

"...Alright. I'll go tell them." The bronze haired man stood up slowly, like it pained him to do so." Could I bring Pieck with me?"

"Of course."

"Thanks..."

With that, Porco walked out of the cafeteria to find Pieck.


	17. Of Hurt and Hugs (Part 2)

It was deathly quiet as Porco and Pieck made their way to the gates of Liberio. The bronze haired man stood stiffly with a ramrod straight spine, keeping his blue eyes on the cobblestones below his feet. Pieck silently followed his example with her arm looped through his, staying as close as she could. She was still wearing his jacket, but Porco couldn't care less about it at the moment. All he could feel was dread. He could already see his parent's faces when he told them. It would crush them.

A light squeeze on his hand made him look down at Pieck. She was looking up at him with sad, somber expression that went against her normally calm and mischievously cheerful look.

"We're almost at the gate," she whispered, letting her head fall against the arm entwined with hers. Porco lifted his eyes to see the familiar barbed fence just ahead of them, and felt the world crash down on his shoulders.

"Yeah..."

A few minutes later, they arrived at the gate and were stopped by Peregrine and Meriadoc as usual.

"Well, hello Mr. Galliard and Miss Pieck! What a pretty picture you two....hey, something wrong? You both look like you're going to a funeral..." Meriadoc said, his cheerful smile turning into a concerned frown. Peregrine stared at the pair with question marks in his eyes.

Porco flipped out his pass without raising his eyes to either of them. Pieck also held out her pass with a heavy look, pointing her head at Porco.

"In a way, we are... Marcel... Surely you understand," she whispered. The guards immediately shut their mouths and quietly opened the gate for them, keeping their eyes to the ground. When it opened, the somber duo walked through the gates as the guards took off their hats and placed them on their chests, watching the young Warriors enter Liberio.

"Wow....so they finally came home," Meriadoc whispered.

Peregrine sighed." Apparently, only three did. Poor Marcel...he was such a great kid."

Meriadoc somberly put the hat back on his head." I feel really bad for Galliard. He just lost his brother, and now he has to break the news to his parents..."

Peregrine shook his head and placed the hat back on his head." That is going to be rough."

....................................................................................................................

It was a quiet day in Liberio, quieter than it normally was, and Porco was glad for it. He didn't have the patience or the effort to deal with unimportant bullshit right now. At least Pieck was supporting him on the walk home, or he might've hightailed it back to H.Q.

"Pock?..."

He tilted his head down to look at Pieck." Hmm?"

"When we get to your house, do you want me to come in with you?"

Porco looked back at his feet and sighed."...No. I appreciate the offer....but I want to this alone. You could go see your old man while I break the news."

Pieck shook her head, her cheek rubbing his arm." Father is pretty busy on Thursday, so he won't have time to visit with me. Are you sure you don't want me to go with you?"

Porco nodded silently. Pieck sighed quietly and squeezed his hand." Okay."

The next twenty minutes were spent in silence as the duo walked through the town. Here and there, they would come across the occasional gaggle of gap toothed youths playing in the street who would squeal and watch them with stars in their eyes before going back to their games. Their mothers were probably shopping at the market before taking their children to school. That's what Porco's own mother had done before he and Marcel signed up for the Program.

Porco's heart twisted cruelly as the memory passed through his head. Marcel would never get to remember those times, and laugh at all their shenanigans. He would never walk the streets of his hometown again, never get to meet a nice girl, settle down, have kids. Marcel would never get to try liquor or cigars with his brother. They would never mess up the meeting rooms together ever again. And Marcel...would never turn the corner to their house, walk up the steps, and give their parents one of his dazzling smiles...

Porco quickly blinked away the tears in his eyes, refusing to let them fall as he took a shaky deep breath. He didn't cry, ever. Period. And if he did, it would be in the dead of night, alone, where no one could see his pain. He was too proud for anything else.

His hand was gently squeezed again as Pieck stopped walking." We're here, Pock."

Porco raised his blue eyes to see he was standing right in front of his house. He stood there, staring at the front doors as he felt his chest tighten with despair. He couldn't do this. He couldn't tell his parents that they had lost one of their sons. Porco turned around to walk back the way they came, but Pieck's firm grip on his arm kept him from taking more than a single step.

"Pock... They need to know. And you need to tell them. It's better to hear it from you than a stranger," she whispered. Porco bit his lip. She was right; Pieck was always right about everything. He slowly turned back around to look at her. Pieck had an understanding look on her face; she probably knew all too well what she was talking about. Doctors like her father had to deliver bad news every now and then, too.

"Alright. I'll see you later, Pieck." Porco's arm was released when he moved forward toward the step leading up to the front door. Each step up felt heavier than the last. When he reached the porch, the bronze haired man looked behind him to see that Pieck had already vanished. With a sigh, he turned back to door in front of him and opened it. The faint, lingering scent of fresh bread tickled his nose as he walked through and shut the door behind him. Home sweet home.

"Jared? Is that you?" a woman's voice called. Porco bit his lip.

"Nope."

There was a beat of silence before light footsteps approached. A moment later, an middle aged woman with red hair and brown eyes rounded the corner. When she saw the bronze haired boy in the foyer, her pretty face split into a warm smile.

"Porco! What a pleasant surprise! I didn't expect you to come home so soon!" she said, going up to her son and embracing him. Porco returned it with one arm, suddenly forgetting how to breathe thanks to the tightness of his chest. His mother must have noticed how stiff he was because she pulled back with a concerned frown, looking up at his face.

"Porco?... Are you okay? You usually have a moody,tough-guy scowl on your face but today...you seem really glum."

Porco shrugged, brushing past his mother toward the living room." Is Dad home?"

His mother blinked, taken aback by his quiet tone." Well, not at the moment,,but he should be back soon. We're out of coffee..." 

Porco sighed, settling himself on the couch." Okay."

His mother settled herself in the couch opposite him, brow still furrowed in concern." How is it back at headquarters?"

Porco shrugged, keeping his gaze on his feet." The usual. Training is a pain. Zeke is a pain. Pieck is annoying."

The red haired woman sighed with a tiny smile." Same as always."

The sound of the door opening made them both turn their heads towards the foyer, where a tall, chocolate haired man stood, shrugging off his jacket. 

"Claire, I'm back with the cof- Oh! Porco, what are you doing here so early?"

Porco's frown became tighter as his father approached." Special permission from Magath."

Jared sat down next to his wife, concern written on his face. Just like Claire, he noticed something was tamping down Porco's spirit." What inspired this "special permission"?"

Porco's hands fisted on his knees as he bent his head, his eyes falling into shadow. He could feel bitterness bubbling up in his throat. The time had come to tell them.

"...I have good news....and bad news."

There was a beat of silence before his father said," Go on..."

Porco grit his teeth, fighting back an unexpected onslaught of tears. This was a lot harder than he thought it would be.

"The good news...the Warriors that were on the Paradis Island Operation came home about a week ago."

Both his parent's face lit up." Wonderful! Finally, after five long years, we get to see Marcel again! I wonder how big he is..." His mother was practically glowing with happiness. His father looked ten years younger. 

"So, when will he come home, Porco? I can't wait-"

"He isn't."

Silence fell, instant, thick, and heavy. His mother blinked.

"What?"

"That's the bad news," Porco whispered, his voice cracking. His dignity and composure were gone, replaced by a twisted pain in his heart." Marcel...didn't come home."

More silence. Jared's face fell and turned a sickly white. Claire stood up, a faltering smile on her face.

"So...he's still on the island, right?... He'll come back with the next ship..."

"I'm sorry." A single tear rolled down his cheek before he quickly wiped it away. Both his parents saw it.

"Marcel...he isn't coming home, is he?...Porco?.." Jared asked, his face crumbling with grief.

Porco nodded." He...got eaten when they got on the island. I'm sorry."

Claire sat, shaken, and started trembling." ...My....My baby boy.....is dead....," she whispered, shaking hands covering her quivering mouth. Tears started leaking from her eyes at an uncontrollable rate as she began to wail." My baby! Marcel! Why?! Why was he killed?! MY BABY!!!"

Jared, who also started crying, pulled his wife into a hug as she sobbed. Porco couldn't watch this. It was too much. He could feel his tears about to spring out. He stood up and looked at his father.

"Dad...I gotta go..."

Jared looked at him and gave him a small nod, understanding the situation. Porco wasn't good at grief. No one was.

Porco nodded back before turning around and walking towards the door, hastily wiping at his eyes. He could still hear his mother sobbing in his head as he hurried back to H.Q.

............................................................................................................

Porco collapsed face first on his bed with a long sigh. His day had been complete shit. Telling his parents Marcel was dead, cleaning up a meeting room that Ymir had messed up, and talking to the girl who killed his brother had taken it out of him. Pieck, who had walked back to H.Q. after getting him to his house, had practically forced him to sit down and eat before letting go to his room.

Groaning, the bronze haired man rolled on his back. Good old Pieck, she'd put his jacket back on the bed post. He reached out his hand and fingered the old leather thoughtfully. He was lucky to have a friend like Pieck. She seemed to know exactly what he needed when he needed it. Guess you get a knack for it when you've known someone long enough.

She was also really pretty.

Knock Knock Knock.

Porco huffed. Just because he liked her didn't mean he wanted to see her right now.

"Go away, Pikku."

The door opened as Pieck ignored his command, walking towards his bed. When she got to the edge, she bent over to see him better, face still somber.

"You okay, Pock?"

Porco rolled over on his side, staring at the wall and giving his visitor a great view of his back. Pieck sighed before crawling into the bed. Porco stiffened as she crawled up near his head.

"Leave me alone, Pieck."

Again, she didn't listen. Instead, Pieck started to run her hand through his hair, letting her fingers sift through the bronze strands. It felt...nice. Over and over, front to back, Pieck's fingers worked until he relaxed. Feeling him relax, Pieck sighed.

"How did it go?" she asked gently. Porco groaned.

"Just as well as you'd expect."

Pieck hummed in response, her fingers still working through his hair." Are you okay?"

Porco inhaled sharply. He could feel the tears coming back." I'm fine."

Pieck wasn't convinced. She gently lifted his head and settled it on her lap, still stroking his hair. Porco fought against the tears, determined not to cry. Pieck leaned over, her hair tickling his neck as she whispered in his ear.

"It's okay to cry, Pock..."

Porco let out a low growl as the first tear slid down his face. It was followed by another, and another, until there was a steady stream of tears flowing down his face.

"You tell anyone about this, and I'll..."

"Shh...This will stay between you and me," Pieck cooed, closing her eyes as tears of her own started." Promise."

.......................................................................................................

Word Count: 2130

I am super sad and angsty right now. Chapter 119 has me so...ANGSTY! 

Next Chapter is going to be HAPPY! And cute....


	18. Titan Business

Brother! Brother! Wake up, Brother!"

Bertholdt groggily blinked open his green eyes to see another pair staring down at him. Mae was sitting on her knees on his stomach, giggling. When she saw he was awake, she started giggling even more.

"You sleep funny, Brother! What are you doing with your head on the floor and your feet in the air?!"

Bertholdt blinked at her before realizing that he was laying on the couch, his feet resting on top of it while his head was on the floor, his arms eagle spread.

"I was wondering the same thing," said a gravelly voice. Bertholdt looked in front of him to see his father watching him with an amused cocked eyebrow-upside down. Bertholdt chucked half heartedly.

"I don't know... It just happens. You can ask Reiner to tell you all about how he wakes up with my foot in his face, if you want." 

His old man chuckled." I most certainly will. Anyway, you should get out of that bizarre position and get to the table. Your mother made breakfast."

Bertholdt smiled as he easily sat up, pulling his legs down to the floor, letting Mae fall back into the couch cushions as she giggled. When he finished righting himself, Mae wrapped her tiny arms around his neck and started bouncing on the couch.

"Will you carry me, Brother? Please!?"

Henry smiled at the two of them as Bertholdt hoisted his little sister onto his shoulders, making sure her head wouldn't hit the ceiling. It was good to have his son home again.

Bertholdt carefully carried his sister to the table just as his mother began to set out the food. Seeing them put a smile on her face as she placed a tray of quiche in the middle of the table.

"Good morning, Bertholdt. How did you sleep?"

Bertholdt grinned as he gently put his sister in a chair." I slept really well, despite my...unique pose," he said, eyeing the quiche. It had bacon, peppers, and onions- just the way he liked it.

Janette chuckled as she went to a nearby cabinet and pulled out plates.

"Yes, I did notice that earlier. Seems like your late night wiggling evolved into something greater," she said, putting the plates in front of them. Bertholdt shook his head as he plopped a piece of the quiche on his plate.

"Yeah...Sometimes people liked to see if my positions could predict the weather."

Mae tilted her head a little as their mother put some quiche in front of her." You know what the weather is?"

"Well, no, not really. It was just a game people liked to play. Certain poses mean different things," said Bertholdt, digging into his food. It was perfect.

"What would today's weather be, then?" his mother asked, passing him a coffee and Mae milk. Bertholdt took a sip before answering.

"If I remember correctly...upside down means clouds, and eagle spread is sunny....so maybe it will be partly cloudy?... Usually everyone was wrong."

His mother giggled and shook her head, sitting down to enjoy her own breakfast.

.................................................................................................................

About half an hour later, Bertholdt stood in the foyer, giving his parents hugs. Mae was hanging tightly to one of his legs as he pulled on his coat. As much as Bertholdt wanted to stay, he knew he had to meet up with Reiner and get back to H.Q. before noon. His family didn't want to him to leave either.

"When is your next off day?" Janette asked, fussing with the buttons on his coat. 

"Uh... I don't know. I'll have to ask Commander Magath when I get back," said Bertholdt, absently mussing up his sister's hair.

"Well, next time you come home, we'll go hunting. It's been too long since we've gone to the hills," said Henry. Bertholdt smiled and nodded.

"Then I'll be able to bag my own deer. See you soon," he said turning around to face the door. Mae clutched onto his pants with an iron grip.

"Don't go, Brother. Don't go away again," she whimpered, looking up at him with tears in her small green eyes. Bertholdt blinked before giving her a soft smile.

"Don't worry, Mae. I won't be gone for long this time. I promise."

Big green eyes blinked sadly at him as he looked down at his sister. Mae looked like she was going to cry.

"Come on, Mae, Bertholdt has to go to work. He'll be back soon," Janette coaxed, kneeling to pry the little girl off his leg.

The green eyed giant looked down at Mae, an idea in his head." Mother? Could Mae walk with me? We're only going to the square, and I'll have Gabi walk her back."

Janette blinked." How do you know that Gabi is coming?"

Bertholdt smiled." Because Reiner is like her big brother, and she will probably stick to his heel the whole time he's home."

Henry chuckled." I don't doubt that. Mae can go with you. It'll be good for her to meet Reiner and Gabi."

"Yay!" Mae squealed and jumped up, releasing her brother's leg and tugging on his hand.

" Brother! Can I ride on your shoulders!? Please?"

"Of course," said Bertholdt, easily lifting her and placing her on his shoulders. When he was sure that Mae wouldn't fall off, he turned to his parents.

"Bye..."

"We'll see you soon, hopefully," said Janette.

Henry smiled." Keep up your good work, Bertholdt. That way we can go hunting more often."

Bertholdt smiled." I will, Father. Take care." Then he practically scooted out the door on his knees, much to his parents amusement.

..........................................................................................................

"Ughhh....Reiner, where is he? Isn't he supposed to be here by now?" Gabi whined, leaning against the fountain. Next to her stood Reiner, who was eagerly looking for his really tall friend.

"I don't know. Bertl isn't this late unless he's being held up. We'll wait another ten minutes, then I guess I'll have to walk alone."

Gabi pouted." I could walk with you to the gate."

Reiner shook his head." Nope. Sorry, Gabs, I promised your parents I wouldn't take you any farther than the fountain."

Gabi grouched at the ground in front of her, mumbling things she probably shouldn't be saying, when a familiar voice called out.

"Reiner! And Gabi! Sorry I'm late," said Bertholdt as he approached the two. Gabi immediately popped up and stood on the fountain edge.

" There you are!"

Reiner gave him a smile." It's about time you- what the hell?!"

Reiner found himself staring at two pairs of green eyes-Bertholdt's familiar orbs, and...a tiny little pair on his head. The tiny pair blinked at him before hiding themselves in his friend's black hair. Bertholdt noticed his friend's baffled expression and smiled.

"Oh, right...Mae? Want to meet my friend and his cousin?" 

There was a tiny pause before an even tinier voice whispered," Yeah..."

Two little arms that Reiner somehow missed unwound themselves from Bertholdt as he carefully lifted a little person off his shoulders and placed them on the ground. It was a little girl, and she was the spitting image of a tiny, girly Bertholdt.

"Mae, this is Reiner. He's my best friend. And that girl is his cousin, Gabi."

The little girl blinked up at Reiner before dashing around and hiding behind Bertholdt, who rubbed the back of his neck with a sheepish smile.

"Sorry, Mae is a little shy..."

Reiner blinked." She is the spitting image of you. What is she exactly?..."

Bertholdt's smile got a little bigger." She's my little sister."

Reiner was pretty sure his jaw hit the cobblestone below his feet." She's your little sister!?"

Bertholdt nodded as Mae stuck her head out to observe the blonde giant talking to her big Brother.

"Yeah... You could say I was pleasantly surprised when I got home," said Bertholdt. Reiner nodded and smiled before bending his knees, dropping to Mae's eye level.

"Hi, Mae. I'm Reiner," he said, holding out his hand. Mae looked at it for a minute before stretching out a tiny hand from between the legs she was hiding behind. Reiner gently shook it and looked up at Bertholdt. 

"She's shy, just like you, and just plain cute. You are really lucky, Bertl."

"Hey! I'm cute too, you know!" Gabi whined good naturedly. Mae swiveled her head to Gabi and watched with owlish eyes as the girl walked up to her and held out her own hand.

"I'm Gabi, your new best friend."

Mae blinked before gently taking Gabi's hand and giving it a gentle shake." We're friends now?..."

"Yep. Best friends. Cause, you know, Reiner is your brother's best friend, so I'm gonna be yours. Sounds good, right?"

Mae tilted her head, thinking about it before nodding." Okay. Brother, Gabi is my new best friend."

Bertholdt blinked at the two girls before meeting Reiner's eyes." Well...that escalated quickly."

Reiner chuckled." Alright girls, we big boys need to get going. We'll see you again soon."

"Gabi! Will you walk Mae home? Ple-" Bertholdt didn't get to finish his sentence.

"Sure! Bye guys! Come back soon," Gabi yelled, waving her hand at them. Mae also waved, moving her fingers more than her hand. Bertholdt waved back, trying to walk forward and look back at the same time. When the crowd of people took them from his sight, he rushed forward to catch up with Reiner, who was grinning.

"I can't believe it. My best friend is a brother. I'm so proud of you, Bertl."

"Thanks, Reiner." Bertholdt fiddled with his hair." She waited for me to come home. She even opened the door for me when I got home."

Reiner chuckled." Mae's adorable. She's like a mini version of you! When I first saw you, I thought you had grown another pair of eyes."

Bertholdt laughed." That explains the 'what the hell?!' bit."

Reiner laughed and smacked him on the back." So, now that we've been here a week and have visited home... When do you think we start training again?"

Bertholdt visibly deflated with a groan." I don't wanna know."

............................................................................................................................

"You're late."

Porco was scowling at them as they climbed the stairs to H.Q.. Well, mostly scowling at Reiner.

"Sorry. The gatekeepers held us up." Reiner easily brushed past the brooding bronze haired man with Bertholdt on his heels." Why were you-"

"Magath called a meeting with all the Warriors. Something about an upcoming experiment," said Porco, not letting him finish." He needs us there as soon as possible. And I was sent to be your welcome committee. Yay." Porco pulled up to the boys, putting the green eyed giant between him and Reiner. Bertholdt could practically feel the tension between the Warriors. Sure, Reiner felt guilty about Marcel's death, but he could only handle so much of Porco's abrasive sarcasm.

"An upcoming experiment?" he asked, hoping to diffuse the tension a little. Porco looked up at him with an indifferent expression.

"I don't really know...but it has something to do with Titan inheritance, and that freckled girl-her name was Ymir, right?"

Bertholdt hummed, thinking deeply about this new information. Reiner crossed his arms.

"Titan inheritance? What about it?"

Porco sighed." Something about changing how it's done. I think she thinks she figured out a way to change it."

"She?" Reiner was confused. Porco just rolled his eyes.

"You'll see if you shut your mouth and follow me," he said pushing ahead of the tall boys and leading them up a staircase. He lead them through various hallways and through a couple staircases before leading them through one final door. In this room was a large, lavish table with seven chairs around it. Those chairs held Zeke, Magath, Pieck, and a woman that looked familiar to Bertholdt and Reiner.

"I've brought the slackers. Let's get this over with." Porco immediately went and slumped into the chair next to Pieck.

The woman stood and smiled at the still standing boys. She had quite a pretty smile, and when she stood, her long, loose dirty blonde hair moved with her.

"Hello, Reiner, Bertholdt. It's been a while since we last met. I'm Sienna Alchuwitz," she said, inclining her head in greeting.

Bertholdt and Reiner both stared at her for a minute before a light went off in Bertl's head.

"Oh! You're Zeke's girl!" A moment of silence grew heavy as the giant began to sweat.

"S-Sorry! I always saw you two hanging out together so I always assumed you were friends and Zeke didn't really have any girl friends, you know like friend girl friend, so I just always called you Zeke's girl-"

"Bertholdt! Please, it's okay! I know, you're not the first to call me that!" Sienna was clutching her stomach as she erupted into laughter, her grey eyes sparkling with mirth. Zeke was also chuckling.

"Yes, Sienna is a good, old friend of mine from when we were in the Program. Now, she is one of the best researchers at the T.B.R.A.. And please, sit down. We have a lot to discuss."

"Right," said Sienna, clearing her throat and sitting down, Reiner and Bertholdt quickly following her.

"Now that we're all here, it's time I told you all about a certain experiment I've been wanting to test out," Sienna began, folding her hands neatly on the table." I think I may have found a way to change the way Eldians inherit the Nine Titans."

Around the table, heads nodded silently, telling her to go on.

"The usual way to inherit a Titan is to be turned into one and eat their predecessor after their thirteenth years is over. However, I had a thought." Sienna stood up and walked around to Zeke's chair.

"It came to me when I was extracting some of this hairy monkey's spinal fluid," she said, circling her fingers around his nape. Zeke grumbled a little about being called a monkey as she continued.

"If I can pull the fluid out of the Titan...why couldn't I pull the Titan out of the human? Whenever I pull the fluid out of Zeke, I barely enter the spine, just enough to pull the goods out. What if I went deeper and pulled the Titan power out as well?" She poked Zeke one last time before walking back to her chair and sitting down in her previous position.

"It has been confirmed that the power itself lies in the fluid of the spine, and therefore the power is also a fluid that clumps in the spine after ingestion, much like oil and water after you mix them. If we were able to pull out that power, we would be able to save the predecessor and spare the inheritor any trauma from turning into a man eating monster. Any questions?"

"I've got one...how do you know the predecessor won't die?" Reiner asked. Sienna bit her lip.

"Well...we don't. It's a guess. I mean, the power has to be sheltered in something, and it kills it's host after thirteen years, much like a parasite. So if we take out the parasite, we should be able live, right?"

Reiner nodded slowly." That's makes sense..."

Bertholdt sat up a bit straighter." How do you know the Titan is clumped together in one spot in our spines?"

Sienna smiled." The Titan power that the Nine possess is...alive. How else would a little bit of fluid remember the lives of the hosts who sheltered it? And all living beings will protect themselves, so the power would surround itself with the spinal fluid like a cushiony shield."

Magath hummed, nodding his head." So a Titan power is a parasite living off an Eldian, giving the holder certain powers to keep it alive. I do not envy you guys. That sounds like hell."

"No kidding," Reiner grimaced.

Porco cocked an eyebrow at the muddy haired scientist.

"Let me get this straight; you wanna stick a needle in Ymir's neck, pull out the Jaw, and inject it into me. Am I wrong?"

Sienna smiled cheekily at him." Nope. You are correct, Porco."

"How do you know that I won't die when you shove the needle in my neck?"

"Don't worry, Pock. You wouldn't die. Think about it; the Titan is a parasitic life form. The moment it gets inside your spine, it will take any and all precautions to keep you and itself alive. In other words, it won't let you die."

Sienna snapped her fingers." That's exactly right, Pieck. As expected of a girl with a good head on her shoulders."

Pieck smiled as Porco stared down at his feet with a huff. Zeke, who had been deep in thought, looked at Sienna.

"So... All those years ago...our ancestor Ymir...made a parasite-like being that gave her subjects the ability to turn into a Titan...only to be killed off by the power."

Sienna coyly put a finger on her lips." Yep. And I might've found the way to keep our Warriors alive until they grow old. You know, have a life. Just picture it; let's say after Porco and Pieck get their Titans removed after their thirteen years...then they move in together..."

"OI! What the hell are you talking about, woman!?"

Sienna busted out in giggles, leaving Zeke to continue embarrassing the hopeless boy.

"Yes... They would move in together...in a nice house full of couches, books, and house plants...and maybe a cat."

Poor Porco was getting redder by the the second as everyone around the table, Pieck included, started to laugh.

"Hey! Knock it off! It isn't-"

"And about two years down the line...OOP! There will be a little baby with red hair and blue eyes!" Sienna cackled.

"Wait! They aren't going to get married first?!" Reiner asked, his head hidden in his arms as he tried to laugh quietly. Porco stood up and huffed out of the room with a loud," YOU ARE ALL SHITHEADS, YOU KNOW THAT?!"

Pieck followed him soon after, leaving everyone in the room breathless with laughter with a smile on her face.

............................................................................................................................

The wonderful Sienna Alchuwitz, top T.B.R.A. researcher, was created by @DianaZhg225 on Wattpad! All credit for this wonderful character goes to her!

Next Chapter: Reiner and Bertholdt give the news to Ymir, Krista, and Eren


	19. Titan Life

Reiner groggily blinked his golden eyes open, groaning happily as he stretched. Magath had finally replaced his tiny, broken bed with one to hold his size and weight, and moved Bertholdt into the other room with a brand new bed of his own. Sleep had never been so good.

A quiet knock sounded on his door before it opened to reveal his green eyed friend.

"Reiner? You up?"

The blonde chuckled." Maybe..."

Bertholdt smiled and shook his head, stepping fully into the room." Well you should get up. Magath wants us to get back on a schedule for training soon."

Reiner sat up with a groan." Is that why you're up so early?"

Bertholdt sat down at the end of his bed." Yeah...."

Reiner swiped a hand over his face before swinging his legs out from under the blankets and onto the floor. He stood up with another stretch and crossed his tiny room to the closet.

"Right.... So what's going on today?" the blonde asked as he started getting dressed. Bertholdt started counting off his fingers.

"Well... Paperwork as usual... And we will be giving Eren a full tour of the Warrior facilities, like the training grounds and the shooting range, since he's pretty much become a permanent fixture here. That's going to take a while..."

"Yeah... Anything else?" Reiner asked, buttoning the shirt he had pulled on.

Bertholdt went quiet for a moment. Reiner looked at him quizzically as he straightened the collar on his shirt.

"Bertl?"

"Reiner...we should probably tell them about the Curse." The blonde froze in place, a grim look etched on his face.

"I mean, we have to tell Ymir about her upcoming extraction, too, so... Shouldn't we explain the whole thing to them?"

Reiner slowly finished with his shirt and leaned against the wall with a sigh." Yeah...They both deserve to know... I just don't know how they'll take it."

Bertholdt fiddled with his hair." Yeah...but with the experiment, we should all live, right?"

Reiner shrugged." To be honest... I don't know. Sienna didn't know either. That's something that still needs to be found out."

The green eyed giant deflated a little bit." Yeah..."

There was a beat of silence before Bertholdt looked down at his feet, his eyes hidden in shadow.

"We've got six years, right?"

Reiner scuffed his socked foot on the floor." Yeah..."

"Do you think...," Bertholdt's voice dropped to a whisper as he clenched his hands together.

"Do you think... We'll get to see Annie again?..."

Reiner felt a pang of pity and guilt run through him. They hadn't talked about their missing team mate since the spat on the island, and the blonde could see that the thought of Annie being alone at the hands of people who wanted her dead was gnawing at his best friend. If only he'd won that fight....

Reiner pushed off the wall and sat next to Bertholdt." Bertl, we will go back for her. I promised to get you guys home, and you promised Annie that if she got in any kind of trouble, you would go and get her. And we will. And you should know that Armin can think of things on a whim that messes with people's heads. Seriously, when I gave her Eren's position on that expedition, she was just about to kill Jean when he starts hollering about how she crushed a suicidal bastard."

Bertholdt sighed and lifted his head." Yeah... But I still can't get that image out of my head...."

He shook his head before turning his head to look at Reiner." On a completely different note, you just gave yourself away."

Reiner blinked at him, confused." Huh?"

A wry smile was tugging up the corner of Bertholdt's lips." The only way you would know I promised Annie that was if you were spying on us that night."

Reiner guiltily shifted his gaze to the ceiling." Well...I didn't want to miss the grand show."

"What?"

Reiner propped his chin on his hand with huff." I was hoping you would do something better than just stare at her. The hand holding was cute, but not exactly what I wanted."

Bertholdt went bright red and leaped off the bed." Huh?! What the hell Reiner! It's not like that! Don't you have better things to do than spy on me?!"

Reiner busted out laughing." You still deny it!"

"I'm not denying anything because I have nothing to deny!" 

"Hey! Stop yapping or you're gonna be late!"

Gold and green eyes shifted over to Porco who was standing in the doorway with a deep scowl on his face. Mornings were definitely not his thing, so the sooner he got his coffee, the better for everyone.

"Alright, Porco. We're coming," said Reiner, standing up and looking over at Bertholdt." We are definitely going to have this conversation again soon, Bertl."

"No we're not."

Reiner chuckled as he walked out the door." You can't hide things like that from your best friend."

"I don't say anything about you and Krista," Bertholdt huffed, following the blonde.

"Ehhhh...right ...well...okay, good point," said Reiner lamely before turning around with a shit eating grin." So you don't want me to say anything about you and Annie?"

Bertholdt sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose." Sometimes, you can be the worst friend ever, Reiner."

The blonde chuckled and smacked his taller friend on the back." Someone is a little cranky this morning. Let's go get him something to eat."

Bertholdt huffed and poked his friend in the ribs." If I have to deal with this all day, I need coffee."

.......................................................................................................

Eren was quietly eating his breakfast, watching the four Warriors get their breakfast. As far as he could tell, everyone got along pretty well except for Reiner and Porco- he'd seen first hand how much the bronze haired guy hated the blonde. It kind of reminded him of when he and Jean fought. Right now they were squabbling over coffee.

Zeke had come down a bit earlier to get his usual pastry and coffee. He hadn't hung out with Eren as much as he had when he'd taken him to Liberio, but he still said hi and had a bit of small talk with his brother. Apparently, being the captain of the Warriors was a time consuming job.

"Morning, Eren. May I sit here?" Eren broke out of his thoughts to see Bertholdt standing with a plate in hand on the opposite side of the table. Eren shrugged.

"I don't see why not. There's nothing I can do to stop you."

Bertholdt smiled nervously as he sat down." I'd listen if you said no."

Eren shrugged." So how was your day at home?"

Bertholdt smiled sheepishly and looked down at the table." Well...for starters, I found that I'm a big brother."

Eren blinked dumbly." Wait...you didn't know?"

Bertholdt shook his head." No... My mom didn't know until after I left. So I just met her for the first time."

Eren nodded slowly." That must've been nice. What's her name?"

"Her name is Mae."

"Mae... That's pretty."

"Yeah..."

They decended into an awkward silence as both boys dug into their breakfasts. 

"Hey guys," said Reiner, sitting down next to Bertholdt with nothing but a cup of coffee in hand.

"Hey," said Eren monotonously. Reiner craned his neck with a loud crack.

"So, Bertholdt, did you tell him?"

Eren blinked." Tell me what?"

"About our plans for today. We wanted to take you on a little tour," said Reiner over his coffee.

"I already know my way around here, so why would I need a tour?" Eren asked, drilling his fingers on the table. 

"Well...knowing you, you probably can't stand staying in here doing nothing all day, so we were given permission to show you the Warrior training grounds," said Reiner.

The moment the words were out of his mouth, Eren perked up." Warrior training grounds?" he asked, obviously interested.

"Yep... We have a gym, a track, an obstacle course, a shooting range, a pool-"

"Reiner," said Bertholdt, giving him a nudge." Eren doesn't know what any of that is."

The blonde ran a hand through his hair." Right. My bad."

Eren shrugged." Well, I'm definitely interested."

"As am I. If I stay cooped up in here any longer, I might do something bad," someone drawled.

Reiner and Bertholdt turned their heads to see Ymir and Krista standing behind them with plates of food. 

"Oh, Ymir. You want to come with us?" Bertholdt asked as the girls walked around and sat with Eren.

"I'm bored out of my mind, so yeah. And I'm bringing Historia with me," Ymir answered before digging into her food. Krista smiled sheepishly at them.

"Uh...Good Morning?"

Reiner gave her a smile and raised his cup of coffee in greeting." Good Morning."

"So...when do we leave?" Eren asked. Bertholdt shrugged.

"As soon as everyone's done eating, I guess."

............................................................................................................................

"Ughhh....How much farther is this training ground?! Seriously, we've been walking for a half an hour!" Ymir grouched. 

Their little group had been walking down a dirt road, heading towards the Warrior training grounds. Reiner turned and looked at the grumpy freckled girl with a grimace.

"The road to the grounds is two and a half miles, and part of our training was running to the grounds. It was exhausting."

"What kind of training did you guys do?" Eren asked, his brow furrowing. Bertholdt fiddled with his hair.

"Well.... We do pretty much everything we did back on the island, only kicked up bit. We would replace the ODM classes and practice with either Shifting practice, marksmanship, or workouts," the green eyed giant answered. 

Eren's frown deepened, but before he could open his mouth to say something, Krista spoke.

"Wait...how old were you guys when you became Warriors?"

Bertholdt shifted his eyes to the ground as Reiner answered.

"Bertl and I inherited our Titans when we were ten."

Krista slowed her pace a little, a look of horror painted on her pretty face.

"You guys are seventeen now...which means you were only twelve when you destroyed the Wall. Two years before that, you inherited the Titans...which means you were even younger when you started trying to get a Titan." Krista raised a hand to her mouth as she looked up at Bertholdt and Reiner, who had stopped and turned around to face her with concern.

"How long have you guys been in the military?!" Krista asked, clearly distraught.

"I was wondering the same thing," said Eren, joining the little circle. Ymir sighed sadly and placed a hand on her hip. She already knew all this.

Reiner scratched the back of his head." We...signed up for the Warrior Program when we were seven," he said carefully, trying not to upset Krista. 

Both Eren and Krista's jaws hit the dirt when they heard that.

"You were seven!? What on earth possessed you to do that?!" Krista shrieked, watching the blonde carefully. Reiner's golden eyes widened slightly as he stiffened, turning away from the group and walking away.

"We should get going. We have a lot to show you guys," he said, completely dismissing the conversation he had been apart of only moments before. Everyone watched the blonde for a minute before continuing to walk.

Bertholdt watched his friend's back as he walked. The look Reiner had on his face was the exact look he had seen back on the ship after Reiner had pulled on his armband. 

Bertholdt frowned. Reiner never acted like this; even when he was offended, he would work to diffuse the situation first. This was just not Reiner, in either of his personalities. Why would Reiner just-

" I'm sorry... I didn't mean to make him mad."

Bertholdt looked down to see Krista wringing her hands, head bent.

"It's okay. I think it might be a sensitive subject for him. He's never acted like that."

"Still...I shouldn't have blown up like that. I just...why would you willingly sign up for this at such a young age?"

Bertholdt rubbed the back of his neck.".... My father was really sick with something called cancer. Since we're Eldian, we can't get good medical care, and we also didn't have enough money to get him treated for it. But if you are an honorary Marleyan, then everyone in the family gets treated to the best medical care for free... So... I signed up hoping I could help Father get better."

"Would you have joined if he wasn't sick?" Eren asked, coming up on Bertholdt's other side.

Bertholdt shook his head, deep in thought." Honestly, no, I wouldn't have. I really don't want to go after thirteen years, but at the time my father's health was priority." It took the giant a minute to realize what he'd just said." Shit. I wasn't supposed to say that."

Everyone was looking at Bertholdt with looks of muted horror.

"What.... What do you mean by "don't want to go after thirteen years"?" Eren whispered hoarsely, eyes as wide as saucers. Krista had gone a few shades paler while Ymir circled around her and planted herself in front of Bertholdt.

"Alright, spill it. What are you guys hiding that we don't know?" Ymir growled. Bertholdt started to sweat profusely.

"I-I-I.....Reiner and I.... We were going to explain things tonight-"

"Cut the bullshit and tell us what we need to know," Ymir commanded menacingly.

Bertholdt sighed." Can we wait till we get to the facilities, at least? It's hot, and Reiner's waiting for us."

Ymir glowered at him before turning on her heel and walking toward the facilities.

.............................................................................................................................

Reiner sat on a wooden bench and massaged his temples with a grimace. 

He had been waiting for a full ten minutes in the facilities, waiting for the people he had left in the dust. He was fully planning on apologizing for his behavior as soon as they caught up. Reiner hadn't meant to leave them behind; he had just needed immediate distance from the touchy subject of his decision to join the Program. It just brought up things he'd rather not think about.

The door across the room squeaked open to reveal a profusely sweating Bertholdt, along with Eren and Krista.

"Hey guys. Sorry I left you in the dust. I-"

At that moment, Ymir pushed past the green eyed giant in all her freckled rage and stormed up to Reiner, grabbing the collar of his shirt in her hands.

"What the hell is this thirteen years bullshit?!"

Reiner's golden eyes went wide." What the hell?! Where did you-"

"Sorry, Reiner! I let it slip!" Bertholdt said, gently prying Ymir's hands of his friend.

"I want an explanation and I want it now!" the freckled girl yowled, her eyes boring holes into Reiner's. He sighed and looked over at Eren and Krista. The former was desperately begging to know what he feared to hear, and the latter had tears in her eyes.

Reiner sighed and ran a hand through his hair." I was hoping to talk about this tonight, but I guess it's going to be right now."

There was a beat of silence as everyone waited for Reiner to begin.

"I'll be straight with you all. When you inherit one of the Nine Titans, you only get 13 years to live."

Ymir's eyes widened in desperation as Eren sat down heavily. Kristale silently started to cry.

"Why the hell is that?!" Ymir shrieked, clearly spooked. Reiner stared down at his boots.

"It's because of something called the Curse of Ymir. Ymir, the first Titan and the creator of the Eldians, died thirteen years after she inherited the Power. When she died, her soul broke into nine different pieces and became the Nine Titan Powers. Since we cannot be greater than our Founder, we also die after thirteen years."

Ymir crossed her arms over her chest and stared at the floor." So that means Eren and I have-"

"Eight years. Eight years left to live for us, and six for them," Eren said quietly.

There was a moment of silence before Krista raised her head to look at Reiner.

"So...back on the boat... That was what you meant. About the candidates inheriting the Titan when your time is up."

Reiner sighed and nodded." Yeah..."

"However, we also wanted to tell you that there might be a way around the Curse," said Bertholdt walking over to where Reiner was sitting.

"How?" Ymir questioned skeptically, raising an eyebrow. Bertholdt scratched the back of his head.

"One of our top Eldian researchers has a theory."

Ymir sighed." Seriously, just get to the point already."

"She pretty much wants to extract our Titan powers from us and inject into someone else, possibly saving the predecessor's life from the Curse," Reiner said.

Ymir blinked before narrowing her eyes at them." And how exactly is this "she" supposed to do that?"

"She plans on extracting it via a needle inserted into your spine. The Titan itself is like a fluid that could be easily drawn out."

Ymir raised an eyebrow." So what you're saying is that when it's time for me to pass on the Jaw, this lady is going to stick a long ass needle into my neck, pull out this little liquid phenomena thingy called a Titan, then inject it into the snubbed nosed ass. And I'll live."

"Everything except that last part," said Reiner, looking her straight in the eye." We don't know if you'll live or not. This is the first time anything like this has ever been done, so we really don't know."

Ymir nodded her head slowly, deep in thought. Eren looked over at Bertholdt.

"Are you guys going to do it, too?"

Bertholdt shook his head." Not right now. If it works on Ymir, then we probably will when our time is up."

"Does Ymir get a choice? I mean, why can't she just keep her Titan until her thirteen years are done and do it then? Why does it have to be now?" Krista asked. Reiner opened his mouth to answer, but Ymir cut him off.

"It's because I'm not one of them. These guys were probably trained for about three years before getting their Titans, whereas I don't have any kind of training except for those few years in the Cadet Core. Also, they can't have someone who was sent to Paradis for treason become a Warrior."

Krista looked down at her feet." So... You're going to go through with this, Ymir? Even though you could die?"

Ymir huffed." If I did it the other way, sweetie, I would definitely die. I would prefer not to be eaten, if I had to die."

There was a moment of silence before Krita looked up at Ymir with a weak smile." Okay."

Bertholdt cleared his throat, getting everyone's attention." Now that that's cleared up, we should show you guys around. Ready?"

Eren stood up and stretched." Yeah. I really want to see how you guys trained."

Reiner stood up with a grin." Alright then. Follow me."

..................................................................................................................


	20. A Very Hard Day

Reiner let out a sigh as he took in the sight in front of him. 

Bertholdt was contorted into another one of his bizarre sleeping poses, the one that had the snoozing giant on his back with his legs over his head. Even stranger was the fact that Bertholdt had wrapped his arms around his legs, practically holding himself down on the bed. Some things just never change.

The blonde approached the bed and swiftly dug his fingers into his friend's ribs. The effect was instantaneous. Bertholdt awoke with a yelp and rolled off the bed, landing with a thud in a tangle of his own limbs and sheets. Reiner couldn't help but laugh when his friend finally emerged from the mess with sleepy frown.

"Morning, Bertholdt. Sleep well?"

Bertholdt stood up with a sigh as he raked his hand through his hair." Yeah..."

Reiner shook his head, smile dimming a little." Are you fully awake yet, Bertl?"

The giant shook his head." No...but a shower would help..."

Reiner gently poked him in the forehead." You can't do that today."

Bertholdt looked down at him with a frown." Why not?"

Reiner sighed and pointed at himself." You can't guess by what I'm wearing?"

Bertholdt stared at Reiner's outfit for a minute; knee high boots, olive shirt and khaki pants with the dreaded red armband. Green eyes went wide in despair as Bertholdt looked back at Reiner.

"Please don't tell me we're starting today."

Reiner nodded with a grimace, and Bertholdt groaned." Why did you wake me up?"

"Cause you and I both know how Magath is about skipping training. Get dressed, and I'll meet you down in the cafeteria."

Bertholdt nodded." Right. See you in a minute."

When Reiner exited the room, Bertholdt flopped back on his bed with a groan. He hated training. The training he had on the island was nothing compared to what he did here. And what he did here hurt like hell. Hand to hand combat was sure to leave him and Reiner with shiny black eyes and bruises, the running would leave his legs cramping and sore, and shifting....

Bertholdt let out another groan as he got up from the bed and started for the closet. Magath, as much as he cared about the Warriors, did not let them slack off. Being late would earn him a demerit. Too many demerits was equivalent to one bone breaking task.

The green eyed giant swiftly pulled on his training uniform and armband before leaving the Warriors dorm, headed for the cafeteria. When he got there, he saw Reiner and Porco silently sipping on coffee. Zeke, being the Captain of the Warriors, didn't have to train as often, and Pieck only had to do occasional shifter training because she wasn't a combat oriented Titan. Lucky them.

"Drink your coffee fast. We got twenty minutes to start," said Porco, handing him a mug in silent greeting. Bertholdt took with a weary smile.

"Thanks," he said, taking a long sip. He really wished he could eat something, but they weren't allowed to. Too much physical activity and a full stomach don't mix well. They would get to eat after training. During training, they only got a light snack.

A loud yawn followed by heavy footsteps distracted Bertholdt from his gloomy thoughts. It was Eren, running a hand through his hair. When he saw them, he blinked in surprise.

"Oh. I didn't know you guys were up yet," he said, approaching them. Reiner gave him a small smile over his coffee.

"Well, can't miss a day of training."

"Training, huh? Is that why Bertholdt looks so down?" Eren asked, pointing at the giant. Bertholdt nodded.

"Yeah.... Training here gets pretty rough. Especially with my Titan. Every time I shift, it just...drains me, you know? And don't be surprised if Reiner and I come back with a black eye or two."

Eren looked down at the floor." That does sound pretty rough."

Porco drained the last of his coffee and placed his mug on the table." Enjoy this lounging around while you can, kid. Magath wants to put you in training, too."

Eren scowled." I'm your age."

"Yeah, well, too bad, kid." Porco gave him a scowl right back before sauntering off towards the door. Eren visibly bristled as Reiner shook his head.

"Ignore him, Eren. Porco's always been an asshole. Trust me, he's gotten under my skin more times than I care to count." He also drained his coffee and set his empty vessel on the table.

"He really needs to get his teeth knocked in," Eren seethed, clenching his fists. The familiar look of anger was etched all over his face. Reiner hummed.

"There you are. It's been a while since I've seen that face."

Eren turned his scowl towards the blonde." What do you mean?"

Bertholdt took a sip of his coffee." Well, ever since we got here over a month and a half ago, you've been...quiet. Not yelling, not getting angry, all the stuff that you're known to do. Honestly, Reiner and I were worried about you."

Eren blinked at them." You were worried about me because I'm not getting angry?"

Reiner shrugged." Because you weren't acting like yourself."

Eren shook his head, still scowling." You guys should go, looks like your training is starting. See you later."

Reiner nodded at him as Bertholdt finished his coffee." Right. See you later, Eren."

............................................................................................................

Reiner, Bertholdt, and Porco stood in a line, backs ramrod straight, faces pulled in to hard, determined expressions as the saluted their Commander and personal trainers.

"Warriors! Today you will continue your training under your respective trainers. Braun, Hoover, I'm sure you recognize Lesnar and Callen, your old trainers from before you left for the Paradis Operation," Magath began.

"Yes sir!"

"Good. As you all know, you kick off your training with a three mile sprint. But, after that, you will be separately trained by your trainer. Understood?"

"Yes sir!"

Magath nodded, satisfied."Great. I'll see you boys later." With that, the Commander turned and walked away, lighting a cigarette as he went. That left the Warriors with their trainers.

Porco's trainer, and man in his forties with a scowl permanently stuck on his face by the name of Gerard, turned to his charge and huffed." Move it, boy. We don't have all day."

Porco nodded quickly and started sprinting like his life depended on it. Gerard turned into o the two remaining trainers.

"You two can take as long as you like reacquainting. Just don't get in my way," he growled, heading towards a horse and hopping on. The trainers were to train the charge, not train with them.

Bertholdt's trainer, Nadya, stepped forward and flicked her dark red hair over one shoulder." We won't, Gerard. We'll be there in a minute." 

The older man harrumphed sand turned the horse in the direction of the training facilities. When was out of earshot, Nadya turned back to her charge.

"Well, seems these two sprouted up quite a bit, didn't they, Breck?" she said, flicking her eyes between the two boys.

Breck nodded." Yes, yes they did."

Breck was nothing less than pure muscle. One look and you knew who would win in a hand to hand fight.

"Alright, boys. You know what to do. Get to it." Nadya ordered.

Bertholdt had barely let the "yes ma'am" pass his lips before sprinting for the facilities. The heavy footsteps behind him told him that Reiner had also started for the facilities. Hell had begun. 

They had been running for barely two minutes before their trainers caught up on horseback.

"Keep it up, Bertholdt! We'll meet you at the facilities. Keep running! If you don't get there at a decent time, you'll do fifty burpees. Move it!" Nadya ordered before pulling ahead. Bertholdt mentally thanked Commadant Shadis for their grueling field runs. 

"Same goes for you, Braun! I wanna see improvement from the last time you were here, boy!" Lesnar yelled as he passed. Soon, the two trainers were out of sight.

A good half an hour later, Reiner and Bertholdt arrived at the facilities with Porco a few feet behind them. Reiner slumped to his knees and raised his head to the sky, breathing hard as Porco flopped on the ground behind him, muttering something like "he shouldn't have been able to catch up, fucking loser...."

Bertholdt braced his hands on his knees and tried to breathe through the burning in his lungs and his legs. He absolutely hated running. Sure, he had long ass legs that were perfect for running, but it was absolute torture.

"Well done, Hoover. You exceeded my expectations by fifteen minutes." Nadya said, approaching him."Take a breather, then meet me in the gym."

Bertholdt, too spent to look at her or even speak to his red haired trainer, merely nodded. A moment later, he heard her walk through the door to the gym behind him.

"Alright, Braun, that's enough rest. I wanna see how you're doing in hand to hand," Breck said, clapping him on the back and almost knocking the blonde forward. Reiner reluctantly stood up and followed his trainer to another building without a sound. Bertholdt knew that Reiner was definitely coming back with a black eye later.

..................................................................................................................................

"Come on! Keep it going! I want ten more, Hoover! Do it!"

Bertholdt's body felt like someone had poured hot acid all over his body, especially his arms. He was currently benchpressing 150 pounds with Nadya practically yelling in his face. She had put him through the wringer. Cardio, weights, more cardio, more weights, more pain, more muscle. And since she hadn't told him to take up his defense stance, he knew exactly what was coming after.

Shifting. 

Perfect.

Grunting and sweating more than he had in three years, Bertholdt, pushed out his last ten bench presses and put the weight back before letting his arms fall to his sides with a groan of relief.

"Good. You finished them. That will conclude today's workout." Nadya said, handing him a bottle of water. Bertholdt quickly grabbed it and drank it down in one go, grateful for the coolness. Thanks to the Titan residing inside him, he tended to get a lot warmer whenever he had a lot of physical activity, which also didn't help with his sweat problems.

"Now, we've only got an hour and a half until you return to headquarters, so let's go to the field. I want to see how you're doing with your Titan," ordered the red haired woman, leaning against the wall as her charge caught his breath." Meanwhile, I must say you have done a good job keeping yourself in top shape the past five years. Your stamina and strength have multiplied since the last time I saw you."

Bertholdt offered her a weak smile." We trained there, too, since we enlisted in their military. And before that, Reiner and I pulled tree roots for a living."

Nadya hummed and nodded." I see. You ready?"

Bertholdt barely suppressed a sigh." Yes, ma'am."

.....................................................................................................................

"So you're making Hoover shift, too, huh? Breck had Braun out here a couple hours ago." Gerard was leaning up against the fence that marked the area where they were allowed to shift. He leaned forward and spat on the ground as Nadya and Bertholdt approached.

"I want to see how well he handles the Titan now," Nadya answered evenly before handing Bertholdt a knife." Go show me what you can do."

Bertholdt slowly took the knife and hopped the fence. Porco must've gotten off early today, since Gerard wasn't training him and was lounging around. Lucky guy.

The green eyed giant sped up to a slow jog towards the center of the field. Thanks to the fact that his Titan tended to be explosive when he transformed, the field was enormous. It took him a good fifteen minutes just to reach the center of it. He took a minute to catch his breath before glancing down at the knife in his hand. 

It had been about a month and a half since he last transformed. That had been the day that Reiner had cracked and blown their cover. That time, he'd only transformed halfway, and he was grateful that he'd known how to control his steam, otherwise he would have killed a lot more people, or gotten killed himself. Just the thought of more blood on his hands made Bertholdt shiver.

Taking a deep breath, Bertholdt cleared his head and raised the knife before swiftly slashing his palm it. The familiar sounds of crackling and bursts of heat and light flashed all around him as Bertholdt felt the familiar feeling of his bones and muscles tightening and expanding. Then the enormous explosion of thunder tore through his body. He grunted and screwed his eyes shut, trying to keep the astounding amount of force and steam inside of him. If he blew it out now in his transformation, he would probably wipe out the entire field.

A moment later, the rumbling stopped, and Bertholdt felt himself being suffocated by a scorching heat as his face was pulled by his Titan's muscles. When they finally attached to his face, Bertholdt opened his eyes. Everything was so...tiny. He was never going to get used to how small things looked in his Titan. It just...didn't feel right.

"HOOVER! CAN YOU HEAR ME!?"

Bertholdt turned his head to look at his too tiny trainer and slowly nodded. It was really hard to move with all the muscles attached to him, weighing him down and restricting his movement at the same time.

"GOOD. NOW, I WANT YOU TO EXHAUST YOUR STEAM, MAKING IT LAST AS LONG AS POSSIBLE! UNDERSTOOD!?"

Bertholdt nodded again with a sigh. Blowing off steam not only disinigrated his body, but it also exhausted him beyond measure. Orders are orders, but...

He was going to hate tomorrow morning.

Taking a deep breath, Bertholdt heated his already scorching muscles to a higher temperature, then relieved a little of the pressure he felt. He could hear and feel the steam burst out of his body, heating up the air around the field. The grass beneath him was now nonexistent, and the dirt was probably charred. He tried not to think about what his steam could do to human flesh.

......................................................................................................................

"Alright, Braun. That's it for the day. Go clean up."

Reiner would have slumped onto his back in relief if there wasn't a huge bruise on it. Instead, he nodded wordlessly and started for the shower room. Or rather, limped.

He was pretty sure his whole body was a bruise. Breck was not one to hold back, ever. He had kicked, punched, and wrestled Reiner all morning, then sent him into his Titan to "work on his control." It was really just to heal all of his bodily wounds so Breck could make more.

When he got to the shower room, Reiner began stripping off his shirt before catching a glimpse of himself in one of the mirrors. He was not a pretty sight.

All over his body were sickly blue purple bruises ranging from egg to fist sized, small cuts that were just barely bleeding, and his right arm was slightly swollen. His knuckles were a mess, as well, but his face was the worst. He had a shiny black eye that was gradually swelling shut, more bruises and cuts, and a split lip. He also had at least a few broken ribs from the pain he could feel every time he breathed. 

Reiner shook his head at his reflection and continued stripping, grabbing a towel and heading towards one of the few showers. The blonde couldn't help but let out a happy groan when the hot water washed over him. Hot water always did wonders for a sore, aching body. Too bad training showers went cold after 5 minutes.

Reiner was quickly washing soap out of his hair when he heard the door open and close, then slow, uneven footfalls.

"Hey," he called. No response. Puzzled, Reiner stuck his head out of his stall and saw a very, tired Bertholdt with his Titan marks sluggishly removing his clothes to take his own shower. Feeling eyes on him, the green eyed giant looked up and blinked at his gold eyed friend. They stared at each other for a minute before Bertholdt spoke.

"You look terrible..." he said tiredly.

Reiner gave him a weak smile before retreating into his stall." So do you, Bertl."

.............................................................................................................................

The walk home was excruciating.

Reiner had to half carry Bertholdt all the way there, and that combined with his sore body made it hard going. It took them- him - an hour and a half to make it back to headquarters. 

When they stumbled into the cafeteria, Porco had opened his mouth to make fun of them for taking so long, but had immediately shut it when he saw the state they were in. Pieck gave them a sympathetic smile, and Zeke had just nodded at them. Reiner gave them all a brief "Hi" and continued out of the cafeteria towards the Warrior dorms.

He was half way there when he ran into them. Reiner turned a corner and almost ran smack dab into Krista and Ymir. His injuries had probably messed with his hearing, since he hadn't heard them before he saw them.

"Holy shit. What happened to you two?" Ymir asked as Krista gaped at them.

"Training."

"Are you guys okay!?" Krista asked, gently grabbing one of his hands and inspecting his beat up knuckles.

"...Yeah. We're okay."

Ymir huffed." I don't think you are. You can barely stand, and neither can he. Move."

"Huh?"

Ymir walked forward, then gently lifted Bertholdt's arm and slung it across her shoulders. Bertholdt started and briefly opened his eyes, then mumbled quiet thanks under his breath before slumping forward again, letting his other arm drop from Reiner's shoulders. The brawny blonde tried not to show his relief as Krista gently tugged on his arm.

"We need to get some ice; your eye doesn't look too good," she said softly.

Reiner nodded and let the tiny girl pull him to the Warrior dorms with Ymir right behind them.

When they got there, Krista guided him over to a couch and told him to stay put before dashing out the door again. Ymir sat down on the other couch, bringing Bertholdt down with her. The poor guy didn't even wake up, just slumped over and let his head fall against the cushions.

"Wow. He's exhausted. What the hell did you guys do today?" Ymir asked, poking Bertholdt in his side. Reiner sighed.

"I had hand to hand combat and Shifter training. He had gym, and Shifting as well, apparently."

"Hmm....is that why his face looks like that?"

"Yep."

Silence fell between them. He and Ymir were not on the best of terms for several reasons, but they knew how to get along when they had to. That mostly involved small talk, q&a, and silence.

Reiner had almost fallen asleep when Krista burst back into the room carrying a medical kit with Eren right behind her, carrying a bucket of ice. 

"Sorry it took so long; I had to find Eren because I couldn't carry it all," she apologized, dropping the kit at his feet. Eren stood, still holding the bucket, gawking at his face.

"What the hell happened to you?!"

Reiner winced as Krista kneeled down and guided his bruised hands down with her." Training."

Eren was silently begged for an explanation." I had hand to hand combat today. I also had a little Shifter practice."

Krista was gently rubbing some type of cream into his knuckles when she turned and glared at Eren." I had you bring that ice up for a reason, remember?"

"Right. Sorry," he said, pulling a handkerchief out of his pocket." I just can't believe someone calls beating the shit out of someone "training".

Reiner watched Eren through his good eye as he filled the handkerchief with ice. Below him, Krista had just finished wrapping one hand with bandages.

"I don't like it either. Actually, I don't like this "training" you guys do at all. Poor Bertholdt couldn't even stand up on his own! And you look like you've been fighting in some illegal underground ring."

Eren plopped the handkerchief of ice into Reiner's bandaged palm." Wait, what's wrong with Bertholdt?"

"He's exhausted. He was practically sleeping on Reiner when he bumped into us," said Ymir.

Eren turned to look at her and saw Bertholdt laying down from the waist up. He also saw his face.

"What the hell?! What's with his face?!"

"Those are his Titan marks. You know, the weird imprints that show up on your face when you come out of your Titan. That's what his looks like."

"Oh..."

Krista finished with his hands and stood up with more bandages.

"I don't know if anything is wrong with your arm, but I'm going to wrap it just in case..."

Reiner closed his eyes with a grateful sigh." Thanks, Krista."

Ymir giggled." Just don't rip your skirt this time, alright?"

Krista cheeks instantly flared pink." Ymir!"

Reiner pinched the bridge of his nose as Ymir doubled over in laughter. Eren blinked, clueless as to what was so funny.

"Huh? What do you mean, Ymir?"

Ymir was laughing too hard to explain, so Reiner took it upon himself to explain.

"It was back at Utgard castle. A couple of small Titans had broken into the tower, and one snuck up on Connie. It was about to bite his head off when I pushed him out of the way, so I ended up getting bit by the damn thing."

Eren nodded, and Krista poked Reiner in the arm.

"You didn't tell him about how you almost jumped out the window with the Titan still on your arm."

"...Right. After that, Connie, Bertl, and Ymir barricaded the door while Krista bandaged me up."

"Don't skip the best part! Eren, you should've seen his face when she ripped her skirt. It was hilarious."

Reiner glared at her." At least I wasn't told to just spit on it, right?"

Ymir shut her mouth with a snap and returned the glare.

"Stop it, you two. Can't you see I'm trying to work here?" said Krista, tying up the bandage on his arm.

.........................................................................................................

A couple hours later, everyone was fast asleep. 

Bertholdt was curled in a little ball on one end of the couch, too exhausted to do his nightly routine of squirming around, while Ymir was sprawled out on the other end. Below her, Eren snored, leaning up against the couch with a bucket of water nearby. On the opposite couch, Reiner was sleeping with his arms crossed over bandaged chest, leaning back so his head rested on the back of the couch. Next to him, Krista was curled up, clutching one of the throw pillows to her chest.

Porco took in the scene in front of him with a raised eyebrow.

"Should we wake them up?"

Pieck cocked her head slightly." No. They look pretty comfy."

Porco shook his head." Never thought we'd have a slumber party in our own dorm. Night, Pieck."

"Good night, Pock."


	21. Ymir

Ymir nervously dragged her teeth over her bottom lip, watching as the first rays of sun filtered through the window. Today was the day. And she was terrified.

Some lady was going to stick a needle into her spine, and hopefully pull out a Titan without killing her. A very tall order by any and all standards. 

Ymir crossed her arms with a huff, drumming her fingers restlessly on her freckled arm. She hated feeling anxious, scared, and helpless. Vulnerable. Vulnerability means anyone can touch you. The only person Ymir wanted anywhere near her was Krista, not some lady who had her life in the balance. Why did she agree to this stupidity again? Because she didn't want to be eaten.

Knock Knock Knock.

Ymir sat up just as the door to her room creaked open to reveal the black haired girl that was always hanging around the Porky guy. She gave the freckled girl one of her trademark lazy smiles.

"Good morning."

Ymir cocked an eyebrow at her." Morning. You here for a reason?"

Pieck nodded." Mhm. The extraction is in 45 minutes. I thought I should come tell you."

Ymir sighed and swung her legs out of bed." Great.... Early morning for me..."

Pieck yawned and sat in a nearby chair." Early bird gets the worm."

Ymir raised her eyebrow a little more." You need anything else?..."

Pieck shook her head with another yawn." No...just want to get to know you a little more. I've been the only girl here since Annie left, so I've missed having talks with people who...get what it's like to be a girl."

Ymir smirked and stood up, heading for the closet full of clothes that the government had generously given her." So...you wanna talk girl talk, eh? Like the whole thing we women go through each month that scares every man?"

Pieck chuckled." That, and other things. Like... Well...girl talk. Annie didn't talk much, but when we did, it would either be about our families or about people in general. She had some interesting views about our world..."

The freckled girl shook her head as she changed out of her night shirt." Annie was an interesting person."

"She was, but she was also really sweet in her own way. Did you know I used to be afraid of the dark?"

Ymir hummed her no as she slid her day pants on.

"I was. When Annie found out, she took me out to the training gym and taught me some of her fighting techniques. Then she told me that since I could now drop anyone who approached me, I had no reason to fear the dark. And from then on, I haven't needed a lamp on when I slept."

Ymir leaned against her dresser, staring thoughtfully at her feet." I don't know much about Annie, other than her mean kicks and cold attitude. Back on the island, at the end of our three year training, Annie ranked fourth out of the top ten."

Pieck ran a finger through her dark locks." Annie was fourth? Who came before her?"

"Eh...Bertholdt was third, Reiner was second, and Mikasa first."

Pieck blinked, surprised." Reiner came in second?!"

"Yeah. Why is that so surprising?"

Pieck tilted her head a little." Back when we were candidates, Reiner was the least skilled out of all of us. As a matter of fact, the only reason he became a Warrior was because of his loyalty to Marley."

"Wait... So you mean if Reiner hadn't gotten the Armored Titan...then it would've been-"

"Me."

Both girls turned to look at Porco, who was standing in the door way with his usual scowl.

"And it should've been me. That little runt somehow managed to weasel it away from me..."

"Oh. Good Morning, Pock. I didn't see you there," said Pieck with a lazy smile. 

Porco rolled his eyes before looking at Ymir." Are you ready? We need to get going, or we'll be late."

Ymir huffed." Yeah, yeah, yeah, just let me get my shoes on."

After pulling on her shoes and pulling on her red armband, Ymir followed the Pieck and Porco out of the room.

"Hey, Porky."

Porco whipped his head around and glared at her." My name is Porco!"

Ymir snickered." My most sincere apologies, Porco." 

"What do you want?"

"I wanna know how this whole thing is gonna work."

Porco sighed and scratched the back of his head." Well, from what I know there's a needle that is pulling the Titan out of you, then putting it in me."

Ymir hummed." I see..."

Pieck turned her head and smiled at Ymir." So Ymir, what can you tell us about Paradis?"

"Paradis? Well... It's pretty nice. Fresh air, big ass trees, people. I'm sure you heard quite a bit from Bertl and Reiner."

Pieck shook her head." No, they don't like to talk about it. Every time I ask them, they just tell me what they said in the report. They won't tell me any stories."

Ymir blinked, then bowed her head." Well... I guess they wouldn't want to talk about it, after what they went through."

"How bad is it there?" Porco asked as they entered the cafeteria.

"How bad is it?" Ymir asked, puzzled as they made their way to a table and sat down.

"Yeah. Like how terrible are those "people"?"" Porco asked, crossing his arms over his chest. Pieck leaned forward on her elbows, obviously wanting to hear Ymir's answer.

The freckled girl stared at the table for a moment before answering." What do you think of Krista and Eren?"

Porco blinked." What does that have to do with my question?"

"Just answer it, Porky."

Porco glared at her, but kept his peace." Eren...is normal, I guess. A little too hotheaded, but okay. As for the blonde short stack...well, she seems nice, but she and I haven't talked much. I guess she's normal, too."

Pieck nodded in agreement." Eren's pretty cool. I like him. And I'd like to get to know Krista a bit more. They both seem like nice people."

Ymir smirked." Well, Eren and Krista are both born and raised in the Walls. So I guess I could say that our comrades back there aren't too bad, right?"

Porco stared at Ymir, then at Pieck, then Ymir again.

"Huh?"

Pieck was cut of by the sound of a door opening. Ymir turned around in her seat to see a woman in her early twenties with long, dirty blonde hair and a warm smile.

"Oh, good! You guys are here! Good morning," she said when she approached the table. Then she turned to Ymir and held out her hand.

"I don't think we've met yet. I'm Sienna 8Alchuwitz, and I will be the one doing your extraction."

Ymir took her hand with a smirk." I'm Ymir, just Ymir, and I'm the one you'll be sticking a needle into today."

Sienna chuckled." I like your attitude, just Ymir. You and I are going to be great friends."

Porco cleared his throat." So...you going to stand and talk for an hour, or are we going to do this extraction thing?"

Ymir raised a brow at him while Sienna giggled." My, my, what an impatient boy we have. Shall we go so we won't upset him?"

Ymir huffed." I don't really care,so sure."

"Then let us be on our way."

Porco stood up and stuck his hands in his pockets, scowling. Pieck stood up to follow him, but Sienna gestured for her to stay put.

"I'm sorry, Pieck, but I'm afraid you can't come with us."

Porco rounded on the scientist." Wait, what!? Why can't she come with us?"

"Rules are rules. No unauthorized personnel in the lab," Sienna said apologetically. Porco huffed. 

Pieck shrugged." Oh. Okay. See you later then, Pock."

"...Yeah, see ya." Porco and Pieck stared at each other before he turned and headed for the door.

"You guys coming? I have a Titan to inherit."

.............................................................................................................

"Hello again, Miss Alchuwitz! And hello, Porco! And... Er... Hello, miss!"

Porco, Sienna, and Ymir where standing just outside the gates of Liberio, waiting patiently as one of the guards bustled over to them.

Meriadoc tipped his hat in greeting at the trio before taking a quick look over Porco and Sienna's passes.

"Alright, you two are going to the research center. Where is this young lady going?" he asked, gesturing at Ymir, who was fiddling with the hem of her shirt. It had been a really long time since she had last seen these walls.

"She's coming with us, sir," said Sienna, giving him a small smile.

Meriadoc scratched his head." Does she have her papers?"

Sienna shook her head." No, sir, she doesn't. She's a special case. Ymir here agreed to do an experiment with me, so she doesn't have any papers."

The guard stared at Ymir for a moment before shrugging." Okay. I'll let you three in, just give me a sec," he said before turning his head towards a small building.

"Peregrine! Unlock the gate!" he yelled. Peregrine stuck his head out the door.

"What was that?"

Meriadoc pointed at the trio. Peregrine silently said "oh"and disappeared into the building again. A second later, there was a loud buzz followed by a sharp click, and the gate swung open.

"Thank you, gentlemen! See you in a bit!" Sienna called, walking through the gate. Porco nodded at Ymir to follow. As soon as they walked through the gate, it shut with a clang.

"Welcome to Liberio," Porco said blankly. Ymir shot him a look.

"I used to live here, jackass."

"Right. How long ago was that?" Sienna asked, slowing down to walk beside Ymir.

The freckled girl shrugged." Oh, about sixty years ago."

Sienna nodded, then looked over at Porco with a grin.

"You really should respect your elders, Porco."

"Shut up," Porco growled.

Sienna continued to lead the two of them through the streets of Liberio, past the market square into the outskirts of the town.

Ymir couldn't help but look around at her surroundings in awe. Her hometown head changed so much, she didn't even recognize it. The street's she slept on were cobblestone instead of dirt, the buildings were made of brick instead of wood... It was all so different.

After a half an hour of walking, Porco huffed and crossed his arms.

"How much farther do we have to go?"

"Not much farther. Just to Anhohe Tot." Sienna replied. Provo visibly blanched.

"We're going to the cemetery?!"

"Mhm. There is a lot more than dead people there, Galliard."

Porco shuddered, and Ymir tried to rub away the goosebumps on her arms. The thought of going to a graveyard was definitely chilling.

A few minutes later, a hill dotted with tombstones came into view. Before it all was a big black gate.

Sienna walked up to the gate and opened it, ushering Ymir and Porco through it.

"Look, I know it's weird to have a lab in a place full of dead, but the creators of this lab built it here so.." Sienna drifted off.

"So?" Ymir prompted.

"So that the lab isn't found by the wrong people, Sienna finished with a shrug." Some people would kill to have this kind of knowledge."

Silence fell as Sienna led them through the graveyard. 

Ymir began to read the tombstones to herself as she passed them; one said Jane Kierven, another said Samuel Curtis. All of the tombstones had the star of the Eldians at the top.

"To be clear, this isn't any normal cemetery," said Sienna, breaking the silence." These are the markers for all of the Eldians who received the honour of becoming one of the Nine Titans." 

Ymir cocked one eyebrow." Will I be buried here if I die?"

Sienna tilted her head slightly, thinking." I don't see why not. You carry the Jaw Titan, so that makes you an a predecessor to Porco. However, I do not want to see you in the ground anytime soon."

Sienna smiled warmly over her shoulder at Ymir, who shrugged.

"You seem to know what you're doing, so I believe I'm in good hands."

"Ok, enough with this mushy morbid bullshit. Where is the lab? My feet hurt," Porco whined.

Sienna chuckled as Ymir huffed." Technically, we're walking on it."

"Huh?"

"The lab is underground. When we get to the top of this hill, there will be a huge tomb. In the tomb is the door that leads to the lab."

Ymir yawned." Wow. It's so secret you can't even see it. Nobody would look for a lab in a place of the dead."

"Exactly."

A few minutes later, the trio strolled up the hill to see a massive tomb the size of a small house with a thick wood door bearing down on them. It was a dark, somber grey, and was covered in carved Eldian stars and what Ymir assumed were the Nine Titans. 

"This is it. Come on in." Sienna opened the heavy looking door with a heave, and held it open for Ymir and Porco.

Inside the tomb was a long, oblong stone table in the center of the small room. Allowing the wall were stone shelves carved out of the walls themselves, and they were littered with fresh and dying flowers.

"This is the memorial for the first Warriors of Marley," said Sienna after she shut the door." Harold Cargerman, George Elcott, Faye Smithson, Erik Gardner, Thomas Scultz, and Richard Tindle were officially selected for the Titan powers after Marley reclaimed them from Eldia."

Ymir leaned up against the table." That kinda explains the flowers. Paying respect to the first Honourable Marleyans seems like something people here would do."

"Mhm. Now, can you two look away for a minute? I'm going to open the door."

Ymir and Porco obeyed,turning and facing the corner while Sienna scrambled around, looking for the door. A few minutes later, there was a click, followed by the infamous sound of a door creaking open.

"Alright, you can look now,"said Sienna, waving them over.

When they turned, they saw that a huge chunk if the wall had disappeared, revealing a long, narrow passage leading underground.

"This is it!" Sienna was grinning,obviously happy about going do own into the lab. It kinda reminded Ymir of a certain someone who was a little nuts when it came to Titans.

"Alright then. Ymir, after you," said Sienna, gesturing her towards the passage. Ymir felt the hairs on the back of her arms stand up as her skin chilled. She didn't like it. She didn't want to. No! She was not going to-

"You gonna stand there all day? Move," Porco huffed, breaking Ymir out of her terrified trance. She swallowed as her dry mouth opened.

"Sorry. Let's go," said the freckled girl, walking reluctantly into the passage to her fate below.

..............................................................................

Word Count: 2479 

Holy Hell! It is so hard to type on this damn thing! Apologies for taking so long! Starting school and my iPad locking me out did not help with this, and now I have to type on this itty bitty keyboard where I have to backtrack more than I write! Gash!


End file.
